


Blame it on Norway

by OnyxRing



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Cameos, F/M, Mentions of Mutants, Movie Remake - But not really, New Tower, Not an Agent, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other ships that won't be mentioned, S.H.I.E.L.D. Training, Star Wars & Star Trek, StarkPhone - Freeform, Team Bonding, Weird dreams
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 05:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 83,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2569829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxRing/pseuds/OnyxRing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kayla Hudson, diagnosed as a superhero, gets called in as an Avenger. She soon realizes that her powers aren't the worst things out there; aliens are. Much worse. New York happens. She finds that she has been missing a lot in life as she grows closer to the Avengers, and why does everything happen in New York? Eventual OCxClint. Movie Remake and Continuation.</p><p>Basically a remake of the movie with my added in OC, Kayla. The first twelve chapters are the movie, and then thirteen on is a continuation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Newbie

**Author's Note:**

> First things first, thank you, Twin, for helping me shape and stick with this one! She always gives me that shove to write, and she's always so happy to read and help out with my story. Love you, Twin! (CherryMountain, check her out!) She also made the cover to the story, so thanks again!
> 
> Hey fellas! Not sure if any of you will read this but you should! My first Avengers fanfiction, hopefully ya'll will like it, because I've worked so hard on this story. Even if it is just a playback of the movie, I promise that if you all like it, I'll get a sequel going (already started it, cough cough.)
> 
> There will be a lot of flashbacks in the first story - those will be in italics like so - so instead of just a rewrite of the movie, I have situations in the past that will help to shape the characters and the situation at hand. It was hard fitting in an OC, but it was fun. Challenging, but fun! I based the character (Kayla) off of the people I surround myself with, and the situation that happened to her, Norway, was kind of just an idea that I had for another fanfic, but then I thought, what the hay!
> 
> I just want to get that feedback and ideas and answer any questions that you have. Feel free to ask! About anything! I'll respond to reviews if they are something other than, "great story, can't wait for an update!"
> 
> Also, if you find that you aren't enjoying the story, give me a review and say why, so I can improve and evolve. I love writing, and if there's any advice, good or bad, that I can get, I'll take it if it helps me in the long run.
> 
> So, the first few chapters are about getting to know Kayla a little, so they might be a little slow for your liking. But stick with me, it gets better!
> 
> This story is posted on FanFiction, and I decided to post it on here too, so all twelve chapters will be here today. Here's the direct link! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10294766/1/Blame-it-on-Norway

Most people say, when it comes to stories, to start at the beginning.

Sure, this story could do that, but then again, what  _is_  a beginning? Where this story started, isn't exactly what's important. It's where it started, how it evolved into the intense new life that was given to someone, who desperately needed change, but that's not where we'll start. This story will start with an event that no one saw coming, especially no one from this world. Don't worry, we'll get to the beginning... eventually.

For now, we'll skip ahead, to the fun stuff.

My name, is Kayla Hudson. And this is my story.

oOo

“What are the energy levels now?”

“Climbing,” Agent Coulson responded. Him, Fury, with Agent Hill behind them, were quickly walking down the corridor, passing by agents and lab coats, who were getting gear and cases and heading out to the vehicles. “When Selvig couldn’t shut it down, we ordered an evac.”

“How long to get everyone out?” Fury asked.

“Can’t be sure. Campus should be clear in the next half hour.”

Fury glanced at Coulson meaningfully. “Do better.”

Coulson nodded, then stopped in the hall, Fury and Hill still walking forward. Before he could turn around, the Director’s voice stopped him. “Hudson stays with you.”

oOo

“Did you not hear any of the alarms echoing through campus, Hudson?”

The voice startled Kayla, who had her feet tucked under her crisscross-applesauce style in a computer chair. She loved the movement of the chair. She pushed her hand on the table so her chair spun around to face the doorway. When she saw that it was only Agent Coulson, she let herself relax. “Oh. Yeah, I heard them alright. But from all my experience, being an author and all, usually any alarms going off in a top secret agency means there’s an intruder, or something threatening.”

She stood from her chair and shrugged her shoulders. “I decided to play it safe and lock the door.” She glanced over his shoulder, accusing the door with her glare. “How’d you get in, anyways?”

“Clearance. Level Eight,” was Coulson’s only response. She thought she saw him start to roll his eyes, but caught himself. Instead, he said, “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“What’s going on? There’s not actually an intruder, is there?” Kayla walked forward, hoping that is wasn’t true. She followed him out the door down the hallway. Of course, he didn’t answer her. What was she thinking? Kayla practically had to jog to keep up with him at his pace. Even when they were roughly the same height - okay, maybe he was a little taller – he was walking really fast.

The author followed Coulson down the corridor, where they passed many people who were carrying bags and cases. Now she was worried. “Coulson, what’s going on?”

He only turned his head slightly in her direction. “Evacuating.”

 _Man_ , she thought, _people actually did talk like that in real life. Thought it was just books and movies._ As the two slowly, but quickly, made their way wherever Coulson was leading them, Kayla heard bits and pieces of conversations form the agents she passed. “Dangerous, cube, off the charts,” and even something that sounded like “testing rack,” or was it “take that rat?”

Then, the next thing Kayla knew, she was outside. She glanced around, watching as vehicles drove past her and people ran to more cars and trucks. She did jog this time to catch up to Coulson, who seemed to be walking even faster. He stopped at a truck and gestured her in. The back of the truck was a soft top, with people in black and others in lab coats, already piled into the back. There were two more seats left, and Kayla hopped in, taking one, while Coulson got in behind her, taking the last. She looked around at the handful of men sitting around her, half in black and gear, and her eyes widened at the sight of the guns in a couple of their hands. To make it worse, some had shades or visors on. _Who wears sunglasses at night_? Kayla had seen her fair share of guns while training under S.H.I.E.L.D., and they hadn’t affected her. But the whole situation with evacuating and seeing everyone rushing around, now with guns ready to shoot, freaked her out. Something was happening, and since she wasn’t technically part of S.H.I.E.L.D., she wouldn’t be finding out anytime soon.

The vehicle lurched forward, taking off, and Kayla bumped into Coulson. “Sorry,” she mumbled, still freaked out by the whole situation. Her mind wouldn’t stop racing with the possibilities, and she couldn’t keep her eyes off of the guy across form her with a rifle, holding it like he was getting ready to use it at any second. She was surprised; they were in a car, what could happen? She looked at the two men in lab coats and wearing rubber gloves, one sat next to her and the other across form him.

All of a sudden, a loud buzzing noise came from the building, and Kayla turned to look. Some sort of explosion rang out, and then the ground was raising and was moving like a wave across the ground. She heard glass shattering and metal bending, saw the building sinking in on itself as more explosions erupted. Kayla sucked in a breath at the destruction. The ground shook underneath the car, and Kayla was off her seat for a millisecond as the truck hit the bump. A few people reached forward to keep the huge case at their feet steady. With those movements, Kayla also saw the man across from her tighten his grip on his rifle, and she felt her hands shake.

The campus was falling in on itself, collapsing into the ground. She leaned forward to see around Coulson, and as the vehicle passed the huge satellites on the edge of the property, they began to fall, sinking and crashing down. The truck was barely able to drive fast enough to get away before they fell in too.

Kayla was speechless at the sight. _That could have been us,_ she thought. Coulson leaned back on the bench, his eyes falling shut. He looked defeated, the same way she was feeling. Kayla herself felt her mouth hanging open. A whole building, still filled with people, destroyed in seconds. Her heart was racing, and her hands shaking.

But the car drove on, and the back was silent, even more silent than it was before. The only sound was the engine as it drove. Kayla leaned her arms on her legs and let out a breath. Her thoughts went to the people that were inside, thinking if they got crushed by the weight of the building, or hurt in an explosion.

Kayla felt Coulson move beside her, and she turned to look at him. He had pulled out a little radio and held it to his mouth. “Director. Director Fury, do you copy?”

Fury immediately responded. “ _The Tesseract is with the hostile force. I have men down. Hill_?” His voice cracked through the radio.

 _“A lot of men still under.”_ Hill’s voice crackled through, hers filled with more static. Kayla knew the woman. Hill was the one she had to report to if something went wrong, like when Kayla accidently damaged a row of computers. She continued. _“Don’t know how many survivors.”_

Kayla didn’t hear what Fury said next. _Don’t know how many survivors_. The words rang through her head. She shook her head in disbelief. There had to be people who survived.

 _“Coulson,”_ Fury’s voice rang out. _“Get back to base. This is a Level Seven. As of right now, we are at war.”_

Fear ran through her body, but Coulson seemed to react to the news fine. After all, he was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. They had the best poker faces. “What do we do?”

Fury didn’t respond.

“Sir?” Coulson asked.

_“Assemble the Avengers.”_

oOo

“Are you sure I’m ready for this?”

“Funny,” Coulson said, although he didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. “I was just going to ask you that.”

Kayla kept on talking like Coulson hadn’t. “Because I’ve had practice, six months’ worth of practice with the best, but not in _real life_ situations. What if, _what if_ something happens? _What  if –_ “ Coulson cut her off, spinning around and taking a step towards her. Everything about his face seemed serious, all except the way his mouth twitched slightly. _Great, he finds my discomfort amusing!_

“You’re nervous, right now, as Kayla Hudson. But I’ve seen you in action, as Shard. Out there, in real life.” Coulson pointed at where her hands rested on her stomach. Kayla rolled her eyes at her code name, but it fit her along with her powers. “With your shards, you’re not Kayla Hudson anymore. You’re a fighter. You don’t get nervous, because in _real life_ , you don’t get tested or evaluated. You’re saving lives.”

When he finished his speech, he finally stepped away from Kayla. She let his words sink in, thinking about her last training session a week ago.

oOo

_“What if I hurt you, you know? Accidently shoot one of these at you and BAM! Training session over.” Kayla gestured with her hands at the appropriate times. She always worried like this during a training session, worried since she had only been at this for a few months, not years like the other guy. She also worried because he wasn’t her usual partner; that one was somewhere across the globe._

_“You’re not gonna hurt me,” The man in front of her rolled his eyes and let a smile fall onto his lips._

_“How do you know that? I barely even know how to pronounce your name, what’s to stop me from taking you out?”_

_The man rolled his eyes again. Agent Whatever His Name Is reached behind his back and immediately, Kayla got into a defensive stance and pulled her shield out from her core. Even with her shield raised, she rolled out of the way as the object he threw was soaring through the air towards her, and prepared to fight back, all worries of accidently hurting him gone._

oOo

“Point made,” Kayla smiled and pointed at Coulson, then narrowed her eyes at him. “So you guys _are_ testing me.”

Coulson turned away from her, and she grinned at his back, wondering if he was grinning too. She reached for the apple on the table and took a bite out of it. After the destruction at Campus, Coulson took her to another base, smaller than the first. It was an Emergency Only base, a back-up for if something happened, like something _did_ happen. Kayla’s thoughts roamed, mostly on what she heard Coulson say on the phone as she had walked in. _Barton’s been compromised._ She heard it earlier, when Fury had told her in person, but hearing Coulson say it for some reason, maybe because he was the second one to say it, to confirm it, made it even more real. She was scared for Clint, that he wouldn’t be okay. Everything was becoming more real since Fury had said, _as of right now, we are at war._

Kayla shook her head to free her thoughts, wanting to think about something else. Thankfully, Coulson spoke up. “Grab your uniform. We’re heading out.”

Kayla perked up. She was actually happy to see what her uniform turned out to look like. It had to be better than the alternative.

oOo

_Kayla frowned at the sight of the uniform that would be hers. She would be disappointed at the blue and black fabric that looked just like Maria Hill’s and all of the other S.H.I.E.L.D.’s uniforms._

_“Do my eyes deceive me?” Kayla asked in disbelief. She didn’t want to look like every other woman on the base, she didn’t want to blend in. And now she sounded like she was whining. And she was. Who would want to, in her shoes? “I can’t wear this.”_

_“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with it?” Coulson came up to stand next to her, eyebrows lowered in question. And she told him. “I don’t want to look like everyone else. I don’t want to wear S.H.I.E.L.D. colors because I’m not_ part _of S.H.I.E.L.D.”_

_She watched as Coulson’s mouth moved, and she heard him mumble in frustration as he raised a hand to his forehead. He continued to mumble about her being a child, or something like that. Kayla grinned. “Can we change it?” She pulled her best most innocent smile she could muster and looked at the agent. It took all of four seconds for Coulson’s shoulders to drop in defeat. Kayla jumped up, literally, in excitement. “Okay, let’s break it up, shirt and top, then pants. And maybe show some skin?”_

_Kayla threw out a bunch of suggestions, babbling on and on about what she thought would look acceptable as a superhero. Coulson just shook his head, a smile slowly forming on his lips._

oOo

“New and improved?” Kayla followed Coulson, the memory fading. They moved to the other side of the room. Anticipation ran through her.

“I put a lot of thought into it.” Coulson smiled, proud of his work. He stopped at a closet type thing and turned to the young author. “I think you’ll like this a lot more.”

Then he was pushing the door open and standing aside. New and improved was right. Though it was the same type of fabric - thick with armor - it was completely different.

She smiled. “Perfect.”


	2. The Mystery in Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See how Kayla processes everything around her into a mystery that she needs to solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a little slow, but stick with me!

Coulson drove. She hadn't asked where, and frankly, she didn't care, as long as she was moving, being occupied. Kayla was happy to get out, and to get a new uniform, although she hadn't put it on. It was in a briefcase in the trunk. She was happy, up until she had to go and think about Clinton Barton.

 _Compromised._  The word rang through her mind, even as she tried her hardest to not think about it, to think about something else. Kayla shook her head and hit it against the headrest. She turned to look at the agent in the driver's seat. "So, Coulson. What brings us to this side of town?"

“Picking up someone.”

“They’re sitting in the back, right?” Kayla pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. _I called shotgun first,_ she thought. Although it was childish, there was more leg room in the front, and she seemed particularly slouchy today.

But Coulson shook his head. “Picking up someone for the team. Not literally.”

“Oh.” _Oh. The team._ Asking someone to join the team, telling them what had happened at the base, even if _she_ didn’t know what happened. They were getting the team ready. Coulson had told her about what he liked to call the Avengers Initiative, where S.H.I.E.L.D. would put a team together that would be there when the world needed it; and it looked like the world needed it. Fury was expecting a war, and he was putting the team together. Kayla felt a wave of anticipation run through her. She had only been on one mission, and all she did was help in being the eyes. All the mission was was picking up a package, although she was pretty sure they stole it. But she was asked to join this new team, with new people she hadn’t met yet, and it was exciting. “What are they like?”

Coulson glanced over at her when he had heard how small her voice was, as if he was checking on her. Kayla was surprised herself. She was ready now, more than she ever was before.

“I’ve meet a few of them. So have you.”

“Yeah?” Kayla turned towards him, fully, so her back pressed up against the passenger side door. Even if it was unsafe without a seatbelt, she didn’t wear one. She hated how she felt so restrained. The author racked her brain, thinking about who she had met that would be on this team of “superheroes.” She tested, “Like who?”

“Barton.” Just that one word, that name, made her mood sink down again. She flicked her gaze away to look out the front windshield. “He’s supposed to be on the team.”

 _Supposed to be._ Meaning, now that he was compromised, there was no way on Earth that S.H.I.E.L.D.  would let the archer on the team now. Coulson continued. “His partner, Romanoff. You’ve met her, if only briefly. A few weeks ago, Barton’s mission to Paris. That was Romanoff, who’s now on a mission in Russia.”

Kayla was surprised that the agent was telling her this. He was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., agents who usually kept all of their missions’ top secret, classified, to all civilians. Maybe it was because he knew that Kayla wouldn’t tell anyone. Who was there to tell anyways? She didn’t have many friends, none that she trusted enough with her owns secrets, let alone a government agency’s secrets. She thought about who Coulson was talking about, the archer’s partner. “Oh, yeah.” She said when the name finally clicked. “Red hair? Shoulder length? Always straight faced? Clint talks about her a lot.”

When the author first visited S.H.I.E.L.D., she started working with Clint Barton after they found out she liked to throw things. That was six months ago. She was introduced to the agent before her mission to Russia, where she was going without her partner, which is why Clint was free to help Kayla learn to protect herself. He had been the one who willingly threw sharp objects at her, and let her do the same. He had been the one to urge her to use her powers, even if he was reluctant at first. Who would want to teach a twenty-six year old who acted like a teenager?

Kayla had spent her time the years before traveling, writing, and watching murder mysteries since she was nineteen. She didn’t even take the time to go to college, to act like an adult. She hadn’t needed to. Her father, Jared Hudson, had written horror – which inspired Kayla to write from a different perspective, falling in love with writing – and was the author of four hit series. As his daughter, the girl obtained so much knowledge in all things writing, had even kept a journal in her teen years with little writing pieces to practice. It helped to strengthen her skills. At nineteen, she published her first book, without the help of her father, which ignited the fire inside her. Novels became her whole world. She wrote and wrote and wrote.

The only thing that pushed her even deeper into the writing world was when her father passed away four days before her second book in her series was published. Kayla needed to write, for herself and for her father, even if he hadn’t been that great of a father in the long run. She even changed her pen name so the last name matched her father’s pen name. When Jared passed, he left everything to her. She had enough that she didn’t need to work, to get a job; so she didn’t. Kayla lived in her father’s house, his office untouched now for seven years. She traveled instead, writing her books. She didn’t have any family, except some distant family across the country.

“Hudson… Kayla!” Coulson’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She caught his eye and hummed. “What did I miss?”

“We’re here.” Coulson rested his arm against the steering wheel as Kayla glanced around. They were deep in the city, lights lighting up the night. “I was asking you if you wanted to come in.”

“Oh. No.” Kayla waved it off, and slunk down in the seat again. She _wanted_ to meet this member of the team. Since she had been with the agency, she slowly started to learn how to be social. She wanted to meet him, or who she assumed was a man, but for now… “I’ll stay in the car.”

Coulson studied her for a few moments, searching her face. This is turn, made Kayla slouch down even more. Finally, after what felt like minutes of the two staring at each other, but was probably only a few seconds, the agent gave her the satisfaction of just nodding and stepping out of the car. Before he shut the door, he ducked his head to look at her one last time. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” After a pause and a look he said, smiling, “Don’t break anything.”

“Funny!” She said as Coulson shut the door. She yelled again, through the metal of the door just so he could hear. “Very funny!”

She found herself rolling her eyes, and she couldn’t stop the smile that tugged onto her lips. A memory surfaced; Last week, she had been roaming the campus by herself after a practice session. She entered a room, looking for some privacy so she could change her shirt. She was completely lost, not able to find a bathroom anywhere. After checking to make sure that there was no one there that would see her change, she glanced around the room. It seemed to be some kind of storage room, filled with bins and crates down both sides of the walls. It wasn’t a big room, more like a bigger than usual closet.

Kayla ungracefully pulled her shirt off, somehow getting her arm stuck in the hole. She didn’t know how, only that her sore muscles could be to blame. She ended up getting frustrated after a few moments, and began to thrash her arms. This caused her to move, taking a step back, and she jerked her elbow out. Bone connected with plastic, making a crate tumble down to the ground. The next thing she knew, more and more crates were falling around her, creating some kind of domino effect. Bins clattered to the floor and items clattered out of the lids, causing the loudest crash that she had heard in the whole building. Her shirt had come off in the commotion, and she quickly slipped on the new one just in time for two agents to slam the door open, guns raised.

Kayla felt her face heat up in embarrassment. “No danger. Just some fallen bins and an ungraceful girl over here.” She immediately knelt down and started to pick up the items scattered on the floor. The men stopped her, assuring her that they had in under control and that she could leave. Kayla covered her face with her hands, noticing that they still had their guns in hand. _Must think I’m an idiot,_ was what she thought as she got out of there as fast as she could, her body heating with embarrassment.

The author was brought out of her thoughts a second time, but not by a voice. Kayla stilled as she listened, straining her ears. Some sort of buzzing noise that sounded like static. It could have been easily mistaken as a radio, but she checked the car, and it was off. As she slowly turned in her seat, she realized that it was coming from _inside_ of the car. The mystery writer in her screamed at her to find out what that was.

“No,” she was surprised that she spoke out loud, but went with it anyways, having a battle with her own mind. “No. No! This is Coulson’s car, and I will _not_ search it. It’s nothing.”

Kayla sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. She was just going to sit there and wait for Coulson to get back. She wasn’t going to do it, no matter how much of a strain it was. “Nope. No, no, no. Hm.”

She was telling herself no, but her brain was screaming, wondering what it could be. The silence – minus the buzzing that was just getting louder to her own ears – was killing her. _Don’t do it,_ she thought to herself. _Just sit still._ And she did.

Two seconds passed before she spun around and looked at the back seats, searching. The thought, _what if it’s a bomb_ did her in. She didn’t want to die. Plus, how could she not? She wrote murder mysteries for a living. It was part of her personality to dig.

Kayla’s eyes searched every inch, every centimeter of the back seats, looking. When she found nothing, she let out a frustrated “humpf,” and then she was crawling over the center console, limbs hitting the seats on the way. After what felt like an obstacle course to get back there, she finally realized that she could have climbed out of the car and got in through the back door. _Of course._

As she listened again for the noise, she ended up tilting her head to the side. Now the sound was coming from the floor, and she didn’t hesitate to drop, her body parallel to the floor. Now, the loudest it’s ever been, Kayla heard it buzzing coming from directly below where she had been sitting, under the passenger seat. Was it in the floor? She looked for some kind of indication that there was a secret hiding place there, and she found one.

“Ah ha!” She cried out victoriously, grabbing the small handle that was barely noticeable. A loud _pop_ sounded as she pulled on the handle, making her sit up, now on her hands and knees. The floor under the seat lifted, and she cautiously tucked a finger under the cover and slowly lifted up. She was relieved to find that it didn’t look like a bomb, just some sort of technology that she couldn’t even really explain.

Before she could even investigate properly, the car door opened, and Kayla immediately slammed the cover down and lifted her head up to look between the front seats. Coulson was sliding in the front seat, and then a woman stepping into the passenger side, pulling a small bag with her. Kayla was alarmed that she hadn’t heard the two outside.

Coulson was looking at her, a funny unreadable expression on his face. “What are you doing?”

“Uhh, nothing. Nope. What are _you_ doing?” Kayla looked back down at the cover of the secret compartment one last time to check if it was closed, and then sat back in the seat. With a glance at the agent, she saw the knowing look on his face and his eyebrows shot up at her innocent look she sent back. She leaned back, as if to get as far away as possible.  Then his eyes flickered, unmistakingly down, as if he looked directly at the machine under the seat before meeting hers again. A few seconds passed before a smile fell on his lips and he looked away.

That was definitely the don’t-ever-talk-about-it look.

“Oh, well hello,” Kayla turned back to the woman, in the passenger seat, who was looking at her with a smile on her face. And, she was in Kayla’s seat. She had red-orange hair, straight and a little past her shoulders. Bangs cut across her forehead, and she had a small amount of freckles across her cheeks, and high cheekbones.  “I didn’t know there was someone with you.”

“Is she…?” Question implied. Coulson shook his head at Kayla, who had her head tilted to the side as she hitched a thumb over to the woman in the passenger seat. She was silently asking if this was a team member, since she thought they weren’t _actually_ picking someone up. Plus, she didn’t want to give away any secret government secrets that even _she_ wasn’t supposed to know about.

Coulson barely shook his head, quick enough that Kayla barely saw him do it. “Pepper, this is my associate, Miss Hudson.”

“Kayla,” she immediately corrected as she too looked at the woman. “Pepper. That’s a pretty name.”

“Thank you!” Pepper beamed. She held her hand out as she turned in her seat to shake the younger girl’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kayla.” Kayla nodded.

Pepper turned to the agent with a look that Kayla didn’t quite catch. Then Coulson was starting the car and everyone faced forward, staring out the front windshield. It was silent; the only sound was of the engine. It was a pretty awkward silence.

“So…” Kayla threw out there, encouraging conversation. The silence wasn’t working for her.

“I hope you don’t mind. Phil offered to drive me to the airport, since you’re heading that way.”

 _Phil?_ Kayla covered her mouth with a fist to contain the giggles or anything else that threatened to escape. She couldn’t believe that his name was _Phil._ Too bad _Phil_ had caught her eye in the rearview mirror. Kayla cleared her throat and removed her hand, doing her best to put on a neutral expression. She sat up straight. “No, I don’t mind. This is my first time actually doing something that’s not business in _days._ ”

Well, technically, that wasn’t true. She was on some kind of business right then and there. Fury was putting the team together, and Coulson had just driven them to do just that. Hopefully, whoever they “picked up” was in. She looked over at Pepper, wondering if the older woman knew about S.H.I.E.L.D., or was even apart of S.H.I.E.L.D. herself. She kept her mouth shut though, not wanting to reveal anything and get yelled at.

“Well, _I’m_ actually going on a business trip…” Pepper continued talking, but Kayla was sucked into memories at the combination of _business trip._ Why did she have to say those two words? Why _business trip?_ The rest of the car ride was a blur mixed with thoughts of Norway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any questions?


	3. The Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the Super Soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure that you can figure out what's happening by chapter title. So, Kayla's personality is a little childish, I know, but that's because she didn't have a lot of social interaction growing up. It's unique, and it's like this for a reason. We're going to watch Kayla grow up before our eyes.
> 
> Thanks again to my Twin, CherryMountain! Haihiealadshdsafheya. Love ya!
> 
> Enjoy! Remember: Italics = Flashbacks!

“So, what are we doing here?” Kayla asked, probably for the fourth time.

“The Hellicarrier.” Coulson replied, probably for the fourth time.

“Right. That explains _everything._ ” Kayla followed the agent as he carried a suitcase across the cement, Kayla dragging her own suitcase. Coulson had given her some sort of device; it was like a piece of glass, with a few small buttons on one edge. He had turned it on, and told her it worked like a tablet. So she took over from there and scrolled through the files of data that were held on it. She read while they headed wherever they were going, which was some sort of private airport or something. She had no idea. The only thing she knew was what the files said, on the device that was now tucked under her arm, about the Avengers Initiative. He told her that the team wasn’t official, just something they had organized. She was apparently a part of that team, because she was willing to use her ability, and Coulson had approved her for the team. Half of the time, Kayla thought that he was telling her way too much of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets. She liked to think that it was because they were friends, no matter how many times he rolled his eyes at her or her acting immature. He was her _only_ friend, if you didn’t count Clint, who wasn’t really a friend. Or Fury, who was her temporary boss and who barked orders at her like she was one of his soldiers. Speaking of, Kayla spoke up, “So, tell me about Captain America.”

At that, Coulson looked back around at her. That seemed to be something he seemed to enjoy, the topic of the World War II soldier. She noticed how he physically straightened, as if excited. The two stopped a few feet away from the jet or whatever it was, while Kayla slipped the device she still held into the first smaller pocket of her bag. The jet was small and… small.

“Well, if you actually read the files, instead of just looking at the pictures...” Coulson let the sentence hang in the air.

“I did.” Kayla smiled at him, who was surprised. She raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk now playing at her lips. “Really, Coulson? I’m an author. Of _course_ I’m going to read anything I can get my hands on. And plus, there were, like, _two_ pictures.” She watched him roll his eyes. She was overjoyed. “I read the file.”

“Then why are you asking?”

“Captain Steven Grant Rogers. Got injected with the serum that turned him into a super-soldier. Super human intelligence, ability, strength, speed, endurance and reaction time. Saved, what, a whole camps worth of lives? From a base camp in Germany? Crashed a plane into the Arctic, saving even more lives, and found sixty some odd years later. I know he’s a soldier, a hero.” Kayla pulled her suitcase out in front of her, leaning forward as she gripped the handle. “But what the file _didn’t_ say is what’s he _like?_ Is he generous or greedy? Does he _read?_ Because _these_ are the things one has to know about someone.”

“Well, why don’t you ask him yourself?” Coulson nodded to her right, and Kayla’s head tilted on its side as she turned. A car was parked, the engine still on as the back door stood open. Exiting the vehicle was a man. Blonde hair and a nice build was the first thing she noticed about him. Looking closer, she saw how his hair was neatly combed back and somewhat parted, a little layered as his hair got darker and shorter in the back. She saw his blue eyes scan across the area, taking in every detail, as he squinted against the sun. A man stood next to the blonde, then gestured, pointing towards the two who waited. In person, he somehow looked more alive. Granted, he was moving, and in the flesh. The picture in the file did not do this man justice. As he walked closer, she saw his face in more detail, and his features were beautiful. He was wearing greyish slacks, and a button up shirt with a brown leather jacket thrown over it, holding a bag in hand. He walked over, and stopped a few feet from Coulson and Kayla, nodding.

Coulson stretched his hand out to the captain. “Captain Rogers, it’s an honor to meet you. Agent Phil Coulson.”

“Glad to be here. Anything I can do to help.” The captain nodded to Coulson, then turned his attention to the woman at his side. His blue eyes trained on her hazel ones as he inclined his head towards her. “Ma’am.”

Kayla smiled, and blushed slightly. She most definitely did not classify herself to be in the ma’am area. It was strange because she was younger than him, even if you didn’t include the years in the ice. She could blame it on how he was from a different time, and that he was a soldier. She followed suit of the agent and shook his hand. He had a firm handshake, his hand huge compared to hers. “Kayla Hudson.” When they dropped hands, she added as an afterthought, “No agent included.”

 He nodded again. The brunette was a little nervous, to say the least. Captain America was standing in front of her, after all. _The_ _hero_. She tried to hide it by shrugging and looking around. The captain’s voice caused her to turn back to him. “So, if you’re not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, can I ask what you’re doing here?”

She raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Patience, Captain.”

Kayla saw Coulson out of the corner of her eye shake his head, and then he stepped back to indicate the plane thing behind himself. “Shall we?”

Coulson waited for Rogers to go first, and Kayla grinned at Coulson as the soldier walked up the small ramp. She leaned closer to the agent, to lower her voice. “I see why the agents say you’ve got a crush on him.” He glared at her, and Kayla was taken aback by surprise. “Hey, I see why. He’s… One of a kind.”

Kayla quickly grabbed her suitcase and made her way up the ramp away from the agent. She smiled once she was sure he wouldn’t see her. She thought about the soldier that was somewhere behind her, stowing away his bag while she did the same. He had that vibe to him, one where you could tell he still favored his time. His fashion sense hadn’t quite caught up with modern styles, and you could easily pick him out of a crowd. It wasn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but it was different, and it just added to the idea of Captain America. Kayla sort of wished she met him back in his day, too. He should be the same man, because it hadn’t been sixty years for him, but it would have been interesting none the less.

When she turned around, she saw Coulson had taken a seat at the small computer that was on her right. She took a seat across from Rogers. The agent said a few words to the pilots, and then the ramp was closing, and the engines were starting up.

It took a few moments, so Kayla felt a need to end the silence. “So. Do you read?” She thought she heard Coulson mumble something, or maybe he had laughed. She realized how that might have sounded, saying that to the captain. “I mean books! Not in general, of course you can read! I didn’t mean that as an insult. Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Captain Rogers raised his eyebrows at her from where he sat, the corner of his mouth twitching. Kayla held his gaze for a few seconds, feeling her cheeks burn up. She turned away when the jet lifted off of the ground. She listened to Coulson talk through the gigantic headphones on his ears. After a few minutes in the air, the agent glanced at Kayla and spoke. “Do you think you could grab that pad I gave you, and show Captain Rogers those files?”

“Yeah,” Kayla stood and grabbed the device from her bag. She turned on the device and then walked over to the captain. She scrolled down with her finger once the files popped up, and then she swiped to the right to show him how to get to the next file. A few moments later, he was getting the hang of it himself.

She returned to her seat and the jet was quiet as everyone concentrated on something, the only exception was Kayla. She watched as Rogers scrolled and read through some files. A few pictures popped up here and there, and she wondered what was going through his head. The brunette thought that he would be used to it, the way a few of them had abilities, similar to his own. What he would see shouldn’t be too shocking for him.

She turned her attention to the pilots, as they maneuvered the jet through the sky. She heard them talk over the headsets, and she watched the blue of the sky. Kayla found her mind wandering, about the team that was being pulled together, at least what she read from the files. She still couldn’t fathom the idea of her being on this team full of superheroes. It was all so surreal.

“We’re about forty minutes out from Home Base, sir.” One of the pilots called out, turning briefly to indicate Coulson. The agent removed his headset from his head and set it down before standing.

“So, this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?” Rogers said as Coulson walked over to stand closer to him.

“A lot of people were.” He reached his hand up and grabbed onto the handle that ran along the ceiling of the jet. He shrugged. “You were the world’s first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine’s original formula.”

“Didn’t really go his way, did it?” Rogers asked, watching the screen in front of him. Kayla could see a flash of green from where he held it, and the speakers were working with explosion sounds and growls.

“Not so much. When he’s not that thing though, guy’s like a Stephen Hawking.” The captain glanced up at Coulson, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Coulson’s mouth turned down some, like he didn’t know how to explain it. He went with: “He’s like a, smart person.”

Rogers nodded, probably not really getting it. Kayla tried to suppress a giggle by covering it with a cough. The blonde looked over at her and she smiled knowingly at him.

Coulson stepped back, nodding some more. “I gotta say, it’s an honor to meet you. Officially. I sort of met you. I mean, I watched you, while you were sleeping.”

The captain smiled quickly up at Coulson after he said officially. When the agent had added that about the watching while he was sleeping, it was too much. Rogers looked down, uncomfortably, and Kayla couldn’t keep in the giggle this time. He glanced at her again before standing and making his way over to where the pilots were. He leaned against the wall, his arm over his head as he leaned down to look out the front window.

“I mean, I was – I was present, while you were unconscious from the ice.” Coulson mimicked the captain, leaning with his arm up above the small entrance way. “You know, it’s really, it’s just a – it’s just a huge honor to have you on board. It’s-“

Rogers glanced over at Kayla, his eyes looking slightly pained, who was silently letting Coulson have his moment, unintentionally making it awkward to all three of them. He looked back out the front window, his voice low. “Well I hope I’m the man for the job.”

“Oh, you are. Absolutely.” Coulson glanced around, smiling a little. Kayla felt herself grinning at the whole situation. The agents at the base were correct, and had even understated. Coulson was having a fangirl moment. A superhero obsessive man crush. But he was finally realizing that himself. “Uh, we made some, modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input.”

Kayla though about her own uniform that was packed away in her suitcase, brand new. The captain turned to Coulson surprised. “Uniform? Aren’t the stars and stripes a little, old fashioned?”

“Everything that’s happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned.”

“I know I would.” Kayla said. Her life had changed so much since she had become part of this world filled with abilities and superheroes.

“Ma’am. I read your file, but it’s a little confusing.” Rogers had turned around and looked at her before walking back over to the seat he had sat in earlier. “Do you mind clarifying?”

“Clarifying? Like what?” Kayla leaned forward in her seat and watched as the screen lit up from the device that Rogers held. Then it clicked in what he had said. She glared at Coulson. “Wait. I have a file?”

Coulson almost rolled his eyes but nodded instead. “It just says your basic information and states that you’re training under S.H.I.E.L.D. It also says your abilities, but that’s about it.”

Rogers spoke up again. “Clarifying, for example, what ‘manifests glass-like shards from wrists,” means?”

She felt herself blush slightly, and then she smiled softly. “Well, Captain, it means exactly what it says.” Then she proceeded to show him. _Seeing is believing, after all_ , she thought. Kayla looked down at her right arm as she pulled the sleeve up to expose her forearm. She barely had to think about it after the long months she had been practicing as she flicked her wrist. A soft yellowish-pinkish glow emanated around her arm as a shard slid out from thin air and she closed her fingers over the object. The yellow-pink glowed dimmed from her arm, and instead the shard glowed slightly.

In the shape of a parallelogram, it was about a foot long, and a half an inch thick. The longer and wider she made her shards, the thicker they got. The corners on either side vertically were sharp, making it much easier for Kayla as she could throw them or use them as knives. She flicked her wrist again, after moving the first to her left hand. The second one she made smaller, letting it land in her hand. It was about the length of her palm.

Kayla glanced up, finally looking up at the captain. His face was one of shock and disbelief, his mouth opened slightly. She grinned. She had surprised him. It was exhilarating because he was Captain America, and she was a nobody. Standing, she slowly walked across to him and handed the foot long shard out to him, so he could exam it.

Hesitantly, the super soldier took the object in his hands. It glowed slightly in his hands, like the shards always did. “This is – this is amazing.” He breathed out, glancing up at her again. Kayla’s cheeks grew warm as he tried bending it in his hands. Even his super strength couldn’t bend it and he frowned. But the smile appeared on his lips again as he handed the shard back to her. She looked away shyly, seeing Coulson nodding, as if to himself.

“You have a gift.” His smile was genuine and encouraging as Kayla sat back down in her original seat across from him.

“Thank you.” She watched the captain as he watched her. She flipped the shard in her hand a few times before she lifted the shard and hit the flat side of it to her palm. Immediately, the shard vanished, the weight gone as it disappeared in a yellowish glow. The brunette watched as Rogers eyes widened. “Yeah, it doesn’t break easily, only vanishes when I hit it against my palm for some reason.” Kayla picked up the first shard and repeated the process. “It’s got like, layers and layers crushed together or something. We stood one up, a big one, and shot a bullet at it. The bullet only left a small dent in the shard, one or two layers.

“So far, there’s only two ways to destroy one, the first one with my palm, and the second is distance. I have no idea why, but I have a guess.” Kayla leaned forward in her seat, placing her hands on her knees. “As I or a shard gets farther and farther away from me, the glow dims and then the shard just disintegrates after miles. I think it generates from my core, like my shield. Like maybe my body is its energy source and if the shard gets farther away, it just, _dies_.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rogers said, also leaning forward. “So, can I ask how you got these powers?”

Kayla rose an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he glanced up at Coulson, eyebrows furrowed. She looked up at the older man as well, before looking back at the man across from her. “I got injected with the serum. That was what turned me into a super soldier. Dr. Banner was exposed to a lot of gamma radiation, which is what turns him into that, thing, right?”

“I-“ Kayla felt lost. She had never asked _how,_ she only knew that she had wanted to know _why,_ not _how._ She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling that certain anger rise under her skin, pushing the blood harder through her veins. “Blame it on Norway.”

Rogers looked lost, too. Coulson spoke up then, and she watched him as he moved back into the chair in front of the computer he had sat at earlier. He took the liberty of explaining, seeing how Kayla had closed herself off. She almost smiled, _almost,_ at how well the agent knew her. She knew he was one of the few. “Hudson’s powers first appeared under certain,” Coulson paused for a moment, eyes flickering over to her before settling on the captain again, “emotional circumstances. She’s been practicing with S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since.”

“I understand that, but how? Was it a chemical?”

“We’ve done plenty of blood samples and our scientists have detected nothing unusual in her blood. Her genes though, there was an anomaly.” Coulson glanced at her again, and Kayla quirked an eyebrow at his next words. “Our scientists couldn’t figure it out, so we consulted an expert in gene mutation. He said that you were born with this ability, and that the traumatic event is what caused your abilities to manifest. He was actually surprised it didn’t happen when you were younger, like most of his students.”

“Wait, what?” Kayla felt her blood surge in a new way, in excitement. “You mean, there are more people like me, with abilities?” Why was she just hearing about this now? After so many months?

“Apparently. So the only logical explanation, since nothing like what happened to the captain or Dr. Banner happened to you, you were born this way. ” Coulson shrugged, like it was no big deal. But Kayla, she thought it was a big deal. The first month after Norway, she had thought that she was the only one. She had thought that she was a freak. Even after she had started working with S.H.I.E.L.D., after she had found out that Captain America existed and Iron Man was flying around New York, she hadn’t heard of anyone who had just had abilities. Everyone that she knew of had had some kind of accident, was experimented on, or was even an alien.

“Well,” Rogers smiled, a full genuine smile. “That’s something.”

Kayla appreciated it, and found herself smiling back. Not many people that she had encountered, mostly S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, found her ability to be a “gift,” or amazing. The only other person who hadn’t thought, _Oh, what can we do with a girl who can throw sharp objects and use her in a fight,_ was Clint Barton. Well, he probably thought it was useful, but he admired her shield and shards. He talked about them like they were her friends, like his own bow was to him. She smiled as a memory surfaced.

But thinking about Clint made her think about recent events, how he was gone. _Barton’s been compromised._ Kayla hated those words. They made her stomach twist and her eyes sting. Fury had said that he had been brainwashed, that his body and mind were being controlled. That he wasn’t himself anymore. She hoped to the moon and back that he would come back, to be Clint again. She hoped that he would be okay. She felt her stomach twist again at the thought of anything happening to him, she couldn’t stand to think about what was being done to him, or what he was being forced to do. Not to Clint.

oOo

_“Is that all you got?” Clint held a knife in one hand while gesturing what looked to be bring-it from his other hand. Or maybe it was come-at-me. It was hard to tell; with Clint, she never knew._

_Kayla was already breathing heavily from their “dance.” The two had been at it for what felt like hours. She had been given a few bruises and even a small cut on the shoulder and thigh. Not deep, and barely breaking the skin. Clint barely had a scratch on him. She stood a few feet away from him, a shard in each hand, her shoulders rising with each breath. Clint stood across from her, a smirk on his lips, not breathing any differently than normal._

_When she finally got her breathing some-what under control, she moved, throwing one shard at Clint’s right shoulder while generating another a moment later, and throwing another at the same time at Clint’s left foot while taking a step forward. Of course, Kayla had been expecting him to dodge both. She didn’t know how he was so good. She threw another pair at him, all the while moving closer to him._

_The archer’s smirk was still plain on his face, as if it was a game to him. In a way, it was. He had been winning – defeating her – the moment they had started training together five months ago. She’d barely been able to hit him, a few scratches and a stab once to the thigh from a little inch length shard a few weeks ago. But other than that, he had laid most of the hits, her receiving. Today, she had a new plan. She had been so focused on her shards and obtaining good aim. Time for a change of advancement._

_Kayla held one shard in her right hand and literally leapt forward, tackling Clint, throwing all of her weight on him. She only had a split second to see the surprise on his face before they were falling down, Kayla latching onto his shoulder as he fell onto the mat. When gravity efficiently worked, and they stilled, she straddled Clint’s hips as she pulled her shard up to his neck, holding it like a dagger gently against his skin. Her dark brown hair fell forward, the tips lying on his chest. Now she was the one smirking down at him, and Clint was out of breath. She whispered, “I win.”_

_Clint stared up at her, one hand resting on her right knee, the other laying on the floor. Kayla was holding herself up by her left hand in the space between his head and his hand. She stared down at him, the smirk slowly fading as she realized the situation she had thrown herself into. Blue eyes stared back up at her, flickering across her face, before meeting her hazel eyes again. Kayla glanced down at his lips, then to where her shard was pressed up to his neck, the glow making his face pink. She felt where her knees and thighs touched his waist, was conscious of neither of them moving except for their eyes and their chests. How she could feel the warmth of his skin through both layers of clothes. The author forgot about winning as she stared down at the man and felt herself lean down slowly. Clint swallowed roughly, the shard moving against his neck. “Kay.”_

_Her name snapped her out of her thoughts. Kayla removed the shard from his neck and scrambled off of Clint as fast as she could. When she stood, she took a few steps back and turned away, her thoughts racing. She had started to lean forward, had almost kissed him._ I almost kissed Clint, _she thought. The girl ran a hand through her hair as her cheeks flushed. She had been_ on top of him _, inches away from doing… that. Kayla heard Clint stand behind her, and she knew that she was only a few feet away from him, but she couldn’t turn around. She couldn’t risk seeing the emotions that were running through him. Especially if, like she assumed, he didn’t feel the same way about her that she did about him._

 _“Kay,” he said again as she heard him take a step towards her. But she didn’t let him finish talking; she was too embarrassed. “We’re done for today, right?” Kayla asked, surprised that she sounded so calm when her emotions were really all over the place. When Clint didn’t answer, she took his silence as a yes. She walked to the door, keeping her head down, and left. Despite being embarrassed and thinking thoughts about the guy who was training her that she_ shouldn’t _be thinking about, she was and she did. Kayla asked herself,_ did that just happen? Did he even _want_ that to happen? To evolve? _She knew she did, even if she shouldn’t. She didn’t let herself think about the way his voice had cracked when he said her name, or that Clint had said_ Kay _instead of Kayla. She didn’t think about hovering over him, their skin touching as warmth rushed through her. Nope, she didn’t think about it at all._

 _Yeah._ Right.

oOo

Kayla let her head drop and touched the bracelet on her left wrist. Oh, she sure hoped he was alright. She just wanted to see him, the real Clint. Even if it was for a few seconds, or the last time she would. The girl thought that if she could, she would tell him, because without him… she felt empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know we aren't having a lot of Clint and Kayla interaction, and we don't quite know about their relationship, but we'll get there. We'll see how they start to have feelings for each other. And hopefully ya'll can see the friendship of Kayla and Coulson, I just want to make that clear.


	4. New Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Doctor and the Spy. Team meeting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're meeting Bruce. And to those of you who hopefully get it, these two understand each other, when it comes to isolation at least, which is how their friendship grows. Just a heads up.
> 
> Some facts: First of all, I had a bit of a crossover last chapter if you didn't get that. When Coulson mentioned that he went to an expert? Yeah, Charles Xavier everybody! Kayla is technically a mutant, but since they don't have mutants in the Avengers movie, because X-MEN is not owned by the same producers of Avengers, they had to change mutants to"Miracles" - spoilers for Cap 2 - so I decided not to mention it with Kayla, but hopefully you all get it.
> 
> Second of all, I am basing Clint's character more off of what I have read in the comics. He's more humorous, witty and badass. And he's blonde! I'm making him like a dirty blonde so it's not so different, but blonde none the less - like he's supposed to be.

As one, they stepped off the ramp. Kayla and Rogers, the two new comers, taking in the new setting around them. “Whoa,” Kayla said as she looked around at the equipment and people. This was definitely something she would have to write about in the future, or somewhere she should have gone on a business trip.

Coulson turned his attention to the agent that approached the trio, and the author took her eyes away from the scene around her to focus on the woman who stood in front of her. She had red hair, cropped just short of her shoulders, wavy near the tips. Green eyes peered at each, analyzing. She wore a dark gray leather jacket over an orange shirt, a pair of jeans and a gun strapped to her left thigh. Her back was straight when she paused in front of them, like Kayla had noticed that most of the agents did.

“Romanoff,” Coulson said, causing the girl’s eyebrows to shoot up. A name she recognized as she studied the agent more carefully. Yes, she had met her before, Kayla knew that now. This was Clint’s partner. “I believe you’ve met Hudson.” He paused, his tone changing as he stepped aside. “Captain Rogers.”

“Ma’am,” the captain acknowledged her.

“Hi,” Romanoff said simply, then turned and nodded to Coulson. “They need you on the bridge. They’re starting the face trace.”

“See you there,” Coulson walked in between the captain and Romanoff. Kayla noticed immediately, and all she could do was blink. This was the first time that she had been separated from the older agent since Fury had said so, or rather, commanded her to stay with Coulson. She felt her head fall to one side, and then she slide her gaze away from the retreating agent, only to land on another agent. _Oh, right,_ Kayla thought as she looked at Romanoff, _a new babysitter._

 _Or not._ She didn’t really seem to notice Kayla, who was standing on right next to her. She only had eyes for the captain, literally. Kayla asked herself if she really saw the two making googly eyes at each other, or if it was just her imagination. Then the agent did glance at her, and the younger flinched. _She can’t read minds, can she?_ Kayla wondered. Anything was possible, right? The agent inclined her head, meaning to follow her, and the three began to walk forward.

“It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice.” Romanoff returned to her attention to Rogers once again, humor now lacing her voice. “I thought Coulson was gonna swoon.”

“Oh, on the ride over, he was embarrassing himself just fine without the swooning,” Kayla laughed as she noticed the expression on Rogers’ face.

“Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?”

The captain looked at the agent in disbelief. “Trading cards.”

“They’re vintage,” She replied, with a slight mocking of pride. “He’s very proud.”

“Dr. Banner,” The captain said after a moment, clearly changing the subject. Kayla turned at another familiar name. Rogers was looking towards a man in a suit, not in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform or formal wear. He was wearing a brown jacket and slacks, with a purple button up shirt underneath. He looked out of place standing there uncomfortably. He responded to his name, waiting for a few men to walk by before approaching them. The two men shook hands.

“Oh, yeah, hi,” the doctor looked the captain up and down. “They told me you’d be coming.”

The captain squinted in the sun. “Word is you can find the cube.”

“Is that the, only word of me?” Banner asked, looking around the Helicarrier.

“Only word I care about.”

Dr. Banner nodded, then finally looked at Kayla. She smiled. He, out of the two men standing beside her, seemed he would be more enjoyable, no offense to the captain. But like him, she was a little uncomfortable being around so many people, although the doctor had a different reason than she did. He seemed the most like her, socially isolated, or in his case, just plain old isolated.

“Hi, Dr. Banner,” Kayla shook hands with the man. “Kayla Hudson. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Yeah, uh, you too,” Banner held his hands together in front of himself after the two shook hands. “They brought you in? I mean, I read your file, but…”

Kayla nodded as he trailed off, then shrugged. “Yeah, they brought me in for my amazing aim, and… other stuff.”

Banner nodded, looking around again, still looking uncomfortable. He glanced between the captain and her. “Must be strange for you, all this.”

“Well, this is actually kind of familiar,” the captain said, his hands sliding into his pockets.

“Well, it’s strange for me,” Kayla said, crossing her arms over her chest. She found herself walking away from them, towards another quinjet. She watched as two men were close to the wheels of the jet, and then watched as they ran a few yards away. One dropped to a knee as he worked on something, clipping to the floor of the Helicarrier. The girl was thinking about how everything around her she had seen before, or at least it was similar to some military based movies, when all of a sudden a loud noise rang out. A voice came over the speakers across the base, and off to the side, she heard men running and working.

The girl’s head snapped up as she looked around again. More and more people were moving around her. She back tracked to where Romanoff was walking away from the two men. When Kayla reached her, she turned and watched Rogers and Banner with a small smile on her face as the two stepped to the edge of the ship. “What’s going on?”

“You might want to step inside. We’re about to take off.” Kayla heard the water at the edge of the ship splash, and she assumed that they were going to set sail soon. After a few moments, she realized that she was wrong. The ship wasn’t moving forward, but it was rising out of the water, gaining altitude. _This is a plane?_ Kayla thought. _Well, the name_  Helicarrier _now makes sense._ Slowly the ship rose out of the water into the air.

She shook her head in disbelief. Things could not be any less normal, could they? Super soldiers, super agents, a raging green monster doctor, a girl who generates glass, and a flying boat. Yeah.

oOo

“So,” Kayla conversationally said. She was walking next to Bruce Banner while Rogers and Romanoff walked side by side in front of them. The two were having their own little conversation about Loki, which she had learned earlier, was who had the cube. He had taken both Clint and Dr. Selvig. She heard their voices, while the two in the back hadn’t said a word. Kayla decided, why not have a conversation. “Do you read?”

Bruce watched as another agent passed them, his eyes following the man in black until he was a distance behind them, then he turned to Kayla. Brown eyes trained onto her and he nodded. “Right, I heard that you were an author.”

“Yup, I’ve written a few mystery series, on my second right now. I’ve also written a few other novels about death, love.” Kayla shrugged, slipping her hands into her cargo pants pockets. They were some type of design where the dark blue and dark purple faded into each other, and it always made her think of galaxies. The girl was also wearing a black long sleeve shirt that hugged her frame. She wore her hair up in a messy bun, although a few strands had fallen out from all the wind. She wore a little eye liner, and a pair of black converse.

Bruce seemed to nod a lot, she noticed, like he was now. It almost seemed like he was nervous. “To answer your question, yes, I read. But not books. Mostly science… stuff.”

Kayla found herself nodding as they walked forward. After a short paused, she looked at the ma walking beside her. “Hey, are you okay?”

Bruce smiled, although it looked forced. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to spontaneously combust.”

“No, well, that’s _good._ But that’s not what I meant.” Kayla sort of felt sorry for the guy. She wondered what it would be like to live his life. “Well, not necessarily. I meant, are you okay, with being here? At S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

“You don’t like them.” It wasn’t a question. Kayla was taken aback, her stride faltered. Bruce smiled, amused now. “Yet, _you’re_ here.”

“How…” Kayla shook her head as she looked away. She was surprised that he knew that, from a few simple words. “I don’t necessarily _not_ like them. I mean, they’ve been helping me train, been helping me with my powers. But…”

She glanced over at Bruce, whose eyebrows were raised, encouraging her to go on. She was at a loss for words for a few seconds, not quite sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. Finally, she just shook her head and spoke, a small trace of anger in her voice. “They only asked me to join the team because of my powers, because they think I’ll be useful in a fight. And ever since I walked through the doors, it’s been all about training, training and more training. There’s an agent with me wherever I go. I basically _live_ on base. And really,” Kayla sidestepped so she was closer to Bruce so she could whisper. “These people are like _robots._ Straight faced, backs always straight _robots_. I mean, do these people even have _emotions_?”

Kayla hadn’t meant to be funny, but Bruce laughed anyways, shaking his head. He put his hands in his pockets too, amusement dominating his features. She felt a smile trace her lips too. The four were finally ending their walk as they exited the hallway into a room. The far side of the room is what caught her attention first. It was all glass, a straight view out into the sky and water. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents scattered at computers, some moving with files in their hands or devices, all wearing the standard blue of the uniform.

Bruce looked around too, and this time, he was the one who took a step closer to her. His voice lowered as he glanced around. “Trust me, I’m with you on that.” He stared at a man as he walked past them, and then raised his eyebrows at the girl as if to prove his point.

Kayla grinned as she looked around and the doctor took a few steps away. Where they came into the room, there was a circular table with computer chairs lined around it. At the end of the platform that took up a third of the room, there was a railing and a set of stairs on each side to lead down to where the computers and the people stood. In the middle of the platform near the railing, there was a small area with a few screens around, and then a catwalk stretched out all the way to the glass at the end of the room. She looked up, and saw that above the doorway they had walked through, there was more glass that looked at hallways stretched around the circular room.

Kayla had made her way towards the table when she heard the Director’s voice say “let’s vanish,” and then he stood at the end of the table. Bruce and Rogers had also made their way over to the table, and the four of them stood.

“Gentlemen. Hudson.” Fury gave a nod to the girl as the captain walked up to him. He pulled something out of his pocket before looking up at the glass and out at the sky, handing something to Fury and walking down the catwalk. Fury held a ten dollar bill in his hand and he smiled as he slipped it into his pocket. He then took a few steps over to Bruce, extending his hand. “Doctor, thank you for coming.”

Bruce glanced away, but finally shook his hand. “Thanks for asking nicely.” His eyes traveled away from the Director, seeming uncomfortable again. “So, um, how long am I staying?”

“Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you’re in the wind.”

“Director,” Kayla stepped forward. “How are we with that?”

Fury nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. How were we in locating Clint _,_ was what she was really asking. Kayla had puzzled together that that was the real reason that he had asked her to join the team, because she would help to find Clint. He knew that she was willing to do anything to find Clint, and the more the merrier. Technically, Coulson had been the one to ask Kayla, and she had refused at the time, that is until he mentioned that she wanted to find Clint as much as the rest of them. She was all in.

Speaking of Coulson, Fury gestured off of the platform, straight ahead of Kayla. The three stepped forward, and she looked down to see Coulson, standing by a computer. “We’re sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops.”

Kayla smiled and held a hand up in greeting. Coulson nodded back. It was an encouraging nod. Almost saying, “we’ll find him,” in that one nod. “If it’s connected to a satellite, it’s eyes and ears for us.”

“It’s still not going to find him in time.” Kayla turned at the sound of the voice. Agent Romanoff was crouched next to computer, Clint’s picture on the screen. She wondered who the agent meant by _him._ Clint or Loki. She saw the worried look on Romanoff’s face.

“You have to narrow your field.” That was Banner speaking again. “How many spectrometers do you have access to?”

Fury shrugged, arms folding across his chest. “How many are there?”

“Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I’ll rough out a tracking algorithm based on the cluster recognition.” Bruce had taken off his suit jacket, and was now rolling up the sleeves of his purple button up. “At least we could rule out a few places.” He looked up at Fury. “Do you have somewhere for me to work?”

Fury gestured to the agent behind them. “Agent Romanoff?  Show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please.”

The redhead nodded, leading the way. “You’re gonna love it, Doc. We’ve got all the toys.” The pair walked off, and Kayla watched them leave, walking past two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They stood on either side of the bird she now just realized was on the wall. It was the symbol that S.H.I.E.L.D. used for their organization.

Kayla walked away once everyone dispersed. She found herself walking down the small set of stairs, over to where Coulson stood. He saw her coming and he stood straight and turned towards her. He pointed to where Agent Sitwell sat. He was the agent who was working on the face trace. “We’re tracking Loki here.”

 The girl nodded, her gaze flickering over to where Rogers stood, arms crossed over his chest. Kayla looked away, walking closer to Sitwell. She had met him a few times, had gone out to dinner with him and a few other agents, he was a good man. He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Hudson.”

She smiled, stepping closer and looking down at the screen. This was the guy, the one who was the cause of all of this. A pale face and long black hair. This was Loki.

“How are you doing?” Sitwell asked, smiling up at her.

She shrugged. What could she say? She was fine until she thought about what exactly S.H.I.E.L.D. was getting her into. “Fine, I guess. I just can’t wait to be done with this and get everything back to normal.”

Sitwell nodded. Now his smile was sad as he looked up at her. “We’ll find him.”

Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. had known that Clint had been the one to train her, so they had spent a lot of time together. She had been assigned to him because of her shards. Clint didn’t miss, with a bow, knives, or shooting; that was why they called him Hawkeye. Since Kayla had taken a liking at throwing her shards, he had been the one to teach her how to throw them. What everyone didn’t know, or at least she _hoped_ they didn’t know, was that he was more than just her teacher. Kayla had started developing feelings for the archer.

No, she was falling for Clint Barton.

oOo

Kayla stood next to the super soldier, leaning back on the railing and the platform behind them. Coulson stood on his other side. The agent was telling him about his trading cards, and Kayla couldn’t help but smile. Rogers looked at her as the agent continued to talk. He must feel so awkward right now. Well, she couldn’t blame Coulson. Captain Rogers _was_ the world’s first superhero; it was hard not to gush over the guy. She remembered the whole base gossiping about Captain America when they found him in the ice. Everybody thought that he was a hero, and he was. Plus, he was pretty attractive, there was no denying that.

“We got a hit,” Sitwell called out, his computer making funky noises and screeches. “Sixty seven percent match. Wait, cross match. Seventy nine.”

Kayla felt a surge of hope through her body as Coulson stepped forward, looking at the screens. Sitwell clicked a few buttons, but Kayla was frozen. She couldn’t move to step forward and look as her mind wandered.

“Location?” Coulson asked, standing beside Sitwell.

“Stuttgart, Germany. Twenty eight Kunenstrasse.” A few pictures popped up onto the screen, even a video showing Loki himself. “He’s not exactly hiding.”

“Captain,” Fury’s voice rang out above Kayla where he stood on the platform. “You’re up.”

Rogers nodded. _Here we go_ , Kayla thought as she pictured what was about to go down.

“Sir?” Kayla finally spoke up as the captain made his way up the small amount of steps to the platform. She stood up straight, took a few steps forward and faced the Director. The question was unspoken, implied. _What about me?_

Fury stared down at her for a few moments, searching her face. He was probably thinking, _is she ready? Has she had enough training?_ Kayla was wondering that, although she was also thinking that she could be a great asset in a fight. Finally, what seemed like minutes later, Fury nodded. “If Agent Barton’s there, bring him in. We need our agent back.”

Kayla nodded as her and the captain made their way out of the bridge to suit up. She would find Clint, because she needed her agent back too.


	5. Shoot to Thrill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AC/DC in Germany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, flashback; a little soft, heartfelt moment between Kayla and Clint. Enjoy!

On the quinjet for the second time that day, Kayla looked up at Captain America. He was suited up all right. The suit looked good on him, the stars and stripes; the colors of our nation. The shield on his arm made him look like a solider, his weapon of choice. Kayla had never thought that she would actually see an actually superhero in real life, tights and all. It was all so strange and exciting at the same time, and she got to take part in it.

Kayla looked down at herself then and smiled. Coulson had taken her opinion for her uniform to the next level. Black boots and pants. The fun part was the three diagonal rings of pink that wrapped around her legs. One ring above her knee, one below, and the last halfway down her shin. They were the pink color to match the glow of her shards and shield. She wore a tank top, the same fabric armor of the pants. It zipped in the front and hugged her figure. Two pink vertical stripes across the front and back of the tank, and a jacket thrown over that. It wasn’t quite leather, but she thought it was nice all the while. Two more rings of pink on the biceps of the jacket, and the sleeves were rolled up just under the elbow. The zipper wasn’t centered, but off to the right. On her left breast over the jacket was something she grinned at. Coulson had added it in all by himself, and she was glad of it. He was the first to actually give her the name, even if it wasn’t that original. In all caps – in pink letters – the name SHARD was patched into the jacket. It reminded her of what soldiers have on their uniforms. The whole uniform made Kayla ecstatic that it was hers, different from all the uniforms around her; unique.

The girl looked up from her uniform after zipping the jacket up. She found her hand instinctively spinning the bracelet on her wrist. When she realized that she had done it absently, she turned it again so that the metal face turned towards her, on the inside of her wrist. On the metal were two simple circles engraved in. One smaller inside the bigger. It was his symbol. The leather band she hadn’t taken off since he had given it to her.

oOo

_The first few months of being at S.H.I.E.L.D., they had been showing Kayla how to use her power. First, by showing her how to meditate to generate her shield. To do that, they showed her the video of her in Pennsylvania, the first video they had of her using her powers. She had been at the cemetery, visiting her father’s grave. She remembered screaming at the tombstone, about how her father had done a horrible job raising a child, and then a warmth spreading through her body and farther as tears ran down her cheeks. In the video, the pink shield blasted from her body a few feet away from her, and then was quickly engulfed, shrinking back to her core. Meditation hadn’t been working, so they just started the training sessions, making her do obstacles or what if scenarios. Whenever she had gotten frustrated, her shield would wrap around her, almost protectively._

_Moving onto month two, she started shard training. Kayla had already figured out how to call her shards months before, but had finally gotten a chance to use them in a fighting situation. She would finally learn to protect herself. The girl had tried knife fighting, but couldn’t quite get the hang of it, especially because the agent never really gave her a chance. Instead, she had thrown a shard once, anger flowing through her veins. That was when Clint stepped in, becoming her mentor for the rest of her time at S.H.I.E.L.D., even if he was one missions all the time. The two threw knives and shards at each other, and finally, Kayla felt good about her powers. She felt like she could do_ something.

_In month four, Kayla was happy to train four times a week, throwing and dodging in the training room. Clint had taken one of her shards and thrown it right back at her. For some reason, Kayla didn’t dodge, but instead held her hand up, palm out. The shard hit her, and would have gone through her hand if it hadn’t disintegrated. Where it should have gone through her skin and bone, the shard was nowhere to be seen._

_Month five came around, and after a training session, Clint told Kayla that he was going to be leaving for a mission. That she would have a new training partner for a few days, maybe weeks. “I’m leaving tonight.”_

_Kayla stared up at him, the two not as sweaty or breathing as heavily as any other day._ Just a few days, right?What could happen? _“Where?”_

_Clint smiled, but didn’t answer right away. Kayla nodded as she looked down and away, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to talk about it or any other mission. After all, she wasn’t part of S.H.I.E.L.D.; she only trained under them so they could keep an eye on her. But he surprised her by saying, “Paris.”_

_Kayla blinked, watching as his muscles moved as he worked in his bag for a minute. She shrugged. “Can’t be that exciting.” Kayla realized that she was stalling, stretching their last few minutes together before he left. Also that she was worried about him, because of the time frame of the mission._

_“Probably not. Just a bunch of tourists. I’m back-up for my partner this mission.” Clint shrugged. The two stood there in silence, neither looking at the other; anywhere but. Kayla saw him tap his fingers against his thighs and nod._

_“Okay, well, have fun. Don’t break a leg.” Kayla started to turn away, trying not to make the situation weird or awkward. He could leave, and she couldn’t stop him. She didn’t want him to find out her feelings for him, to make things awkward between the two, although she always found herself blushing when he was around._

_Clint grabbed onto her arm and gently pulled her back. Blue eyes bored into her, making her freeze in place. Clint looked away a few seconds later, looking at the floor, and then his hand. Kayla watched as he slowly let her go and started to untie the bracelet that she always saw on his wrist. The leather band had a small knot opposite the metal, one she hadn’t really gotten the opportunity to look at. Then it was off, and Clint held the bracelet in the small distance between them. “I want you to have this.”_

_“What? No, I can’t, you-“_

_Clint cut her off. “Hudson.” His voice was low as he grabbed her left wrist and had already started tying the bracelet there. The leather was warm on her wrist, and Kayla felt herself shiver as Clint’s fingers brushed the sensitive area of her skin. When he finished, he held her hand up with his right and then twisted the bracelet so the metal was facing them. Kayla got her first good look at him, seeing two circles etched into the metal. “Keep it safe for me, will you? Until I get back. If you ever lose control, think about what I taught you, our training together.”_

_Kayla met his eyes and nodded, swallowing hard. She knew he was thinking about the meditation sessions, before Clint, when she had just begun. Even if it was a few months ago, she still remembered like it happened yesterday. She was speechless as she looked up at him, conflicting emotions swirling through her. Clint squeezed her hand before moving away. His arm brushed her shoulder and he finally let go of her hand at the last moment. Then his warmth was gone as he moved away, but her body was telling her something was_ wrong. _He was leaving her with something, and he was leaving without something in return._

_“Clint.” Kayla called out, her hand flying to her pocket. She felt the familiar object there and closed her fingers around in. She heard Clint stop behind her, and she pulled the object out of her pocket and held it in the palm of her hand. The inch long shard glowed on her skin as she finally made her decision to let it go. It was the first shard that had flown out of her hand, the one in Norway. She had picked it up and carried it with her ever since as a reminder._

_Kayla built up the courage to turn around, make the few steps forward, and hold her hand out. “Here.”_

_Clint raised an eyebrow, a small laugh escaping his lips. “It’ll only last a few miles or so before it disappears. You know that.”_

_The girl shook her head and stepped closer, now her taking his hand and placing the shard there. She spoke softly as she looked down at the small object glowing there. “Not this one. This is the first shard I threw. It’s different, somehow.”_

_She held his left hand in hers, much like he had to her. Her fingers softly trailed over the edge of the shard, grazing Clint’s palm as it glowed on their fingers. “I left it in my loft once when Coulson took me to D.C. When I came back, it was there, sitting on my dresser where I left it. I don’t know why, or_ how _, but this one is different.”_

_Kayla pushed his hand towards his body, then pulled her own hands back to herself. She grinned up at Clint. “Keep it safe for me, until you get back.”_

_Clint smiled and closed his fingers around the shard. He left after that, no goodbyes from the archer. He had told her that he hated goodbyes, so she had always kept quiet, and instead had done a simple lazy salute with two fingers to him as he left. She knew that her feelings for the archer weren’t just a simple crush, and she hoped that he would one day return the feeling._

oOo

As she absently spun the bracelet around her wrist, she looked around the jet. She spotted Agent Romanoff looking in her general direction. Her eyes were trained down, and the younger girl followed her line of sight to her own wrist; the bracelet to be exact. Kayla blushed, covering the leather with her hand. When the bracelet was out of sight, Romanoff’s eyes snapped up to meet Kayla’s for a few seconds, her emotions guarded. Then she turned her attention back out to the sky.

The spy had known exactly what the bracelet was, had probably seen it on Clint’s wrist, like, for for _ever_. Kayla couldn’t tell it what she got was a glare from the agent, or suspicion, or something else. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were good at poker faces, so she couldn’t tell. Maybe it was sadness, or even hope.

“Captain, you’re up.” Romanoff called out a few moments later, hitting a few buttons up front. “Loki’s in sight.”

Kayla stood and walked over to the pilot and agent, looking out. She gasped at the sight in front of them. One man, in gold and green, had made a large amount of people kneel before him. _Kneel._ There were multiple Loki’s scattered around them, and the situation almost reminded her of herding sheep.

One man had stood in the middle of the group, an older man. The jet was so far away, yet the scene in front of them didn’t look too good.

“Get ready to land.” The pilot said.

“No. There’s not enough time.” Kayla’s voice rose as she turned around. “Captain, you have to get out there _now._ The situation doesn’t look too good.”

Rogers nodded and headed towards the back of the jet. The ramp was already lowering as he pulled the cowl up onto his head.

“Wait,” Romanoff said, but Kayla didn’t let her finish. “There’s no time!”

Rogers jumped, landing the twenty foot drop and ran off. Kayla turned her attention back to the window in the front as she watched the captain run towards the people. Just as Loki raised the spear he was holding in his hand, pointing it towards the elder man. The tip of the spear glowed, but Rogers was there, standing in front of the elder man as a blue beam of light shot towards them. His shield blocked the impact, instead ricocheted back and hit Loki, making him fall flat on his stomach.

“Told you,” Kayla muttered, just loud enough for Romanoff to hear her as she turned and walked down the ramp, not waiting any longer. It was only a few feet from the ground when she jumped out and started to run towards the scene. She had forgotten to pull her hair up into a ponytail, so her loose curls were all over the place, and there was no time to fix it.

She watched the captain slowly walk towards Loki as the villain stood up. The two were having a short conversation. She stopped an equal distance between the captain and Loki, almost making a triangle as people in the crowd slowly broke off and ran. She ushered the few around her to hurry and move out of the soon-to-be-battleground. Loki saw the movement, and barely got a chance to look at Kayla before the quinjet was in the air behind Cap. A gun sank out of the bottom of the jet, pointed straight at Loki. Romanoff’s voice came over the PA system. “Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.”

 He did the complete opposite, instead pointing the spear at the quinjet and firing, a blue beam of light shooting across the sky, barely missing as the jet moved at the last second. Rogers threw his shield at Loki, hitting him square in the chest. It ricocheted, the soldier catching it while jumping at the armored man, throwing a punch at his face.

Loki, not seeming too happy, went to hit the captain with his spear, but Rogers blocked the blow with his shield. Loki maneuvered the spear so it pushed the shield up and out of the way before hitting Cap with the end of it, sending the soldier flying. While he fell to the ground a few feet away, Loki laid his eyes on her.

Her own eyes widened when he pointed the spear at her. “Oh, _shit_.” She mumbled just as the blue light glowed at the tip of the spear. Kayla took in a deep breath as she saw Loki smirk before the blue light was shooting towards her. She flinched, bringing up her pink shield around her, pushing it out from her core to protect her. The pink glow surrounded her for a split second before the blue blast hit the dome. What she wasn’t expecting was to be thrown back a good ten feet, slamming onto her back from the impact. Kayla moaned, pain shooting through her body as she rolled herself onto her side. She saw Loki’s head cocked slightly to the side as he looked at her from where he stood.

The ground seemed to spin around her as she sat up, and she brought a hand up to the side of her face feeling the strange warmth there. Blood was left on her fingers as she pulled her hand away. She ignored the pain and glanced up, staring as she watched Loki and Cap fighting, spear and fists. Rogers fell another few yards, and Loki took a few seconds to glare at Kayla where she sat, much farther away than where the captain laid. His spear glowed as he shot another beam at her. She was prepared this time when she brought her shield around her, pushing out a few feet. The beam hit the pink dome, and she felt the pressure push at her, but her shield held this time.

 Kayla finally pulled herself up to stand, calling her shield back to her as it slowly shrank towards her until it was gone. That was when music started playing. Music? Kayla looked up at the quinjet, where the music was coming from. AC/DC blasted through the PA system, announcing the arrival of a figure flying through the air towards them; Iron Man. He flew in, arms raised as he shot his thrusters at Loki, making the villain fly back farther than where the captain was slowly standing up. Iron Man landed, slowly standing up from his crouched position, while looking at Loki. He then pointed both arms at Loki, while places on his suit popped open and more weapons pointed at the man.

Rogers was at Kayla’s side, a hand on her arm. She waved him off, pointing towards Loki. He nodded and jogged over to stand next to Iron Man as she followed a few paces behind, standing on his other side. She held a shard in each hand.

“Make your move, Reindeer Games.”

Kayla heard the hum of the quinjet behind them as it slowly lowered and got closer. Loki’s body glowed a few seconds later, before the armor he had been wearing disappeared as he raised his hands in surrender. All the cockiness left with the armor, and the smiles and smirks no more. He didn’t look as threatening without that huge helmet on his head, or the gold armor.

Iron Man’s suit powered down, at least the weapons that peeked out of his shoulders. Blue lights glowed through the cracks of his suit, looking oddly familiar. “Good move.”

Rogers breathed heavily as he relaxed. “Mr. Stark.”

“Captain,” was the response he got in return, nodding his head. He glanced at Kayla briefly before returning his attention to Loki, his next words directed towards her. “Welcome to the party, New Kid.”

“Thanks,” Kayla breathed out as she realized what he meant. The party in general, meaning the world of heroes. She had forgotten until that moment that Tony Stark was the man in the suit. That his humor and cockiness didn’t fade away in battle, like all her nervousness did when she was focused. At least you could expect the humor from Tony Stark, no matter what.

oOo

Loki’s glare was pointed at Kayla, since the two were sitting across from each other. She was directly in his line of sight. Her skin crawled under his stare, and she was aching to move, to go _anywhere_ but under that glare. When she tried to stand though, Steve was there pushing her back down. “You hit your head pretty hard. Don’t want you passing out on us.”

 Now, she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring right back at Loki. She was a little upset, partly because she had hopped out of that jet hoping to help, to fight. She felt useless now, after getting hit with blasts while Cap had been the one to do most of the fighting. Mostly because out of all the time they were fighting Loki, they had forgotten to even check for Clint. They couldn’t now. Now, they had to get Loki back to the Helicarrier.

In front of her was the man who had taken Clint, who had compromised him, who had taken control of him. This was the man who was the cause of _all of this_. The reason why they had lost Clint, and the reason they were now at _war._

Kayla found herself wondering what he villain across from her was thinking as he stared at her. She wondered what the whole reason was for him being here, on Earth. She let her thoughts wander when she finally heard the captain speak up. He stepped towards Stark, who had taken his helmet off and glanced around. “I don’t like it.”

Kayla heard them quietly, although not quietly enough, because with a glance at Loki, she knew that he could hear them too. They were both listening, although both were pretending to not be listening as they continued to glare at each other.

“What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?”

“I don’t remember it being that easy.” They were still talking quietly, but it was pointless. “This guy packs a wallop.”

“Eh, still, you are pretty _spry_ , for an older fellow.” The two looked at each other, and Kayla could practically _feel_ the tension between the two. “What’s your thing, poloties?”

“What?” She could hear the confusion in Rogers’ voice.

 Stark tilted his head and looked away. “It’s like calisthenics.” He paused, glancing around the quinjet for a moment before turning his gaze back. He lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. “You might have missed a couple of things. You know, doing time as a Capsicle.”  

Rogers paused, now annoyed. “Fury didn’t tell me he was calling you in,” was his comeback.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of things Fury doesn’t tell you.” Stark seemed more serious now. But as the last syllable exited his mouth thunder cracked through the sky.

“Where’s this coming from?” Romanoff asked no one in particular. Lightning split the sky, causing the jet to light up in blue and white for a brief moment.

Kayla flinched as the thunder boomed in the sky. Loki leaned forward in his seat, looking up at the ceiling. His mouth hung open, and Kayla’s eyebrows lowered as she saw the small trace of fear in his features.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?” Cap asked from where he stood.

Loki spared him a glance, and Kayla heard his voice for the first time. “I’m not overly fond of what follows.” He glanced up at the ceiling again. She was taken aback, hearing his voice and the accent with it. She remembered that he was from a different world, and it shouldn’t have surprised her to hear that his accent was strange. His clothes matched the strangeness too.

The quinjet shook then, a thud sounding on the roof. Kayla grabbed ahold of her seat as she shook, trying to stay upright. She hated seat belts, even in times like this, although she wore it at the moment anyways, because she had been falling over from dizziness earlier. Loki - across from her - was strapped in. Out of all the things that should be going through her head right now, the thing she thought about was; _who had been the one to buckle Loki in? Cap, or Stark?_

Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Immediately, Stark grabbed his helmet and slid it on over his head. He walked forward and hit the button on the wall that would open the ramp. Cap put his cowl on over his face when Stark walked towards the ramp as it opened.

“What are you doing?” Cap yelled, and all of a sudden, they had a visitor. A man flew in, landing on the ramp, clothed in funky layers like Loki. But where the prisoner wore black and green, this newcomer wore blue, red and silver. He stood up, a hammer in hand, and hit Stark straight in the chest. This sent him flying, taking Cap down with him.

Kayla fumbled with her buckles, trying to get up from stopping the man from doing… whatever he was doing there. She kept glancing up, unable to unbuckle. The man in the blue and red walked towards Loki, fear clearly on the black haired man’s face. He grabbed Loki’s shoulder and pulled him up, the buckles breaking off around him. He cringed in pain as the blonde grabbed him by the throat, then moved to his shoulder once again, the hammer swinging in his hand before he jumped, taking Loki into the sky with him.

Now, Kayla had finally got unbuckled as she stood up and peered out into the sky. She was a little happy that she was out of the way at the time, so she didn’t get thrown around like the two men behind her.

“Now there’s that guy.” Stark said as he stood.

“Another Asgardian?” Romanoff asked loudly over the wind and thunder that was dying down in volume.

“That guy’s a friendly?” Cap asked in disbelief.

“Doesn’t matter.” Stark said as he walked forward. “If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract’s lost.”

“Stark! We need a plan of attack.”

Stark walked past Kayla, down the ramp, glancing at her as he walked next to her where she stood near the end. “Stark!”

“I have a plan.” Stark turned his head briefly to look at her, directing his words at both of them. “ _Attack.”_ He jumped, thrusters pulling him in the direction the Asgardians went.

“Did he just…” Kayla trailed off as she turned to face Rogers. She watched as he moved to a side of the quinjet, unbuckling a parachute. “Whoa, Cap, I don’t-“

She was cut off by Romanoff speaking up again. “I’d sit this one out, Cap.”

He continued to pull the parachute onto his back, pulling the straps around him tight. “I don’t see how I can.”

“These guys come from legend. They’re basically gods.”

“There’s only one god, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” Cap turned, grabbing his shield.

“Cap, are you sure?” Kayla faced him as he walked down the ramp.

He looked at her, pulling his shield onto his arm. “We can’t lose the Tesseract. Or Loki.”

After a moment of looking up into his blue eyes, Kayla nodded. Cap nodded back before facing the sky and jumping out.

Kayla stared into the dark sky, the thunder and lightning gone now. She turned and walked back towards the front of the jet, hitting the red button on the right that made the ramp close. When it was sealed shut, she turned to Romanoff. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”


	6. The Stars in Her Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayla tells part of her story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a real exciting chapter, but there are a few moments in this one. With Tony and a flashback with Clint. There's also a little insight into Kayla's past, although it's not exciting. Actually quite the opposite. Tried to get a bonding moment going on. Tell me if I succeeded!

“They flew back east. We should head back that way.” The pilot nodded at Romanoff’s words.

As the pilot and the agent maneuvered the jet around, the three slowly scanned the forest floor. Kayla thought about what had happened a few moments ago, when something clicked in her brain. “Wait. I know him! Well, know _of_ him.” Romanoff looked back at her in confusion. Kayla nodded, pointing at the sky. “The blonde, that’s Thor.”

“How do you know that?” The elder woman looked at her suspiciously. Kayla knew that the two weren’t getting off to a great start. She had already snapped at the agent in Germany, interrupted her, had gotten weird glances from the bracelet, and now knew information that she shouldn’t know.

“Clint,” She paused, looking away for a few seconds. A flood of emotions washed over her at the mention of him. She mentally shook her head. “He told me about the mission in New Mexico. Thor, he’s a friendly.”

“You’re not supposed to know about that.” The red head said after a few moments of silence. Kayla shrugged. The cockpit was silent again, until the elder woman pointed down at a flash of light in the forest. “There.”

A surge of blue light flashed through the forest, a gust of wind as trees were pushed down flat to the floor. When the dust and smoke cleared away, Kayla muttered, “Oh…”

The quinjet lowered to the ground, and Kayla put the ramp down, sliding out. She jogged over to where the blast came from, a shard in hand. She was late again, useless. Iron Man, Cap and Thor all stood together. “Boys,” She heard herself call out. “Are we done playing?”

A few moments of silence stretched out as Thor looked around at the three. Then, he swung his hammer around and took to the sky, only to come back a few moments later with Loki. Kayla pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “Jet’s this way.”

No one moved, so Kayla did the honors of turning first, mentally rolling her eyes and walked back the way she came. When she got back up to the jet, she took a sat in the same seat she sat in earlier, and the boys walked in, putting Loki in the same seat he was in; across from Kayla. She laid her head back, exhausted, even if she had barely fought in Germany.

Cap and Stark stood by the cockpit again, and Thor stood by Loki, his hammer on the floor of the jet. He had long blonde hair, curly from the wind, and stubble across his jaw and chin. Blue eyes flickered around at the three. Kayla finally found her voice. “Thor.”

His blue eyes swung towards her, and Stark and Rogers both looked at her as well. “Hi.” She smiled hesitantly.

“You know me?” His voice was a deep baritone, and was loud in the small space.

“I know _of_ you.” Kayla held up a hand. “I was told of New Mexico.” She let her hand drop and ducked her head for a minute. With a glance over at Stark and Cap she continued. “Look, Loki has taken the Tesseract, and he’s also taken an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. We’re just trying to get them back.”

“I am sorry for what Loki has done. But if I know my brother,” he glanced down at the man in the green and black, who smiled disturbingly, blue eyes gleaming, “He plans to use trickery. Deception.” With a pause, his eyes glanced around again. “He says he doesn’t know where the Tesseract is.”

“Well,” Cap spoke up, shifting his weight as he crossed his arms over his chest and sent a glare towards Loki. “We will find it. One way or another.”

The quinjet was silent as it flew over the ocean. After ten minutes or so of quiet conversation, Rogers took a seat down the bench from Kayla, and she took the opportunity to stand up by the cockpit. The sky was dark, and it was hard to see any of the stars, although she could see the brightest of the bunch. Stark stood a few feet away from her, turned so he could keep an eye out for the two Asgardians, as a conversation behind them started between Thor and Cap.

“You know,” she said quietly, earning a glance from him. The stars brought back memories, and she couldn’t stop herself from speaking. She didn’t even know why she was telling the billionaire anything. “I use to know every constellation.” She saw his eyes, how they weren’t quite paying attention, and she couldn’t blame him. But Kayla continued talking, not realizing that this was a moment that Tony Stark would look at her like she was more than just a girl on a team with strange abilities. “My father put me in a private school, although all the kids there were related to big business partners and lawyers. I was just a daughter of an author, not really anyone important. Anyways, he thought that I should learn useless things like the constellations, or the name of every bone in the body, and other stuff that would get me nowhere in life.

“My father didn’t raise me. Not really. My aunt did mostly, until she thought I was finally old enough to put up with him myself. Even though he taught me everything I know about being an author, something that I love, he didn’t do much else for me.” Kayla felt her hands clench into fists by her side, old memories surfacing of her time with her father, who ignored her, who didn’t go to the park and play with her, who barely stepped out of the house. “But he got me interested in the stars and the galaxies around us. It’s always so interesting to discover new planets and systems.”

Kayla glanced down from the sky, to the glowing buttons in the cockpit. She realized then that not only had Stark been listening to her sob story, but the pilot and Romanoff had too. “He was a horrible father, and growing up without a family is hard. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” The girl felt small then, as she looked up at Tony Stark for a moment, seeing his brown eyes gaze at her, before she looked back out to the sky. “Sorry I bothered you with my sad childhood story,” she said as she turned away to retake her seat on the bench. She had no idea what had come over her, to cause her to talk about that part of her.

The rest of the ride back to the Helicarrier was filled with Thor’s deep voice and Rogers’ not-as-deep voice as Kayla thought about her past, wondering what it would have been like if she had grown up with a mother.

oOo

More than a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents escorted Loki through the ship. Romanoff led them, while Kayla, Rogers, Stark and Thor followed behind. Stark broke off, heading in a different direction, to take off his Iron Man suit she assumed. The rest passed the lab that Bruce was in, and that was when she broke off, Kayla slipping through the door. “Hey.”

The doctor pointed through the glass into the hallway, his gaze glued to where Loki had passed. “Was that…”

“Loki?” Kayla nodded and walked towards him, looking at him over whatever was in front of him. “Yeah, that was him. He didn’t have the Tesseract with him.” She didn’t know why, but she was comfortable in his presence, something she didn’t usually feel around strangers. But with Bruce, it was nice.

Bruce pointed to a few of the screens in the room. “I’m still looking.”

Kayla nodded, taking a few steps backward as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “We’re meeting at the bridge.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” Bruce nodded, and Kayla slipped out the doors, heading down the hall. She was surprised when she took a few steps forward that Agent Romanoff was in step with her, right by her side. She thought that the agent had been with Loki.

“We need to talk.” The agent said, surprising Kayla again.

“About what?” Kayla stared straight ahead as she continued to walk, thinking about the day’s events. “We got Loki, Bruce is still looking for the Tesseract, and-“

“Not that,” Romanoff reached forward, her fingers wrapping around Kayla’s arm, pulling her to a stop and causing her to spin around. Then, she jerked the girl’s arm up, her left hand high at eye level as the agent stared into hazel eyes. “This.”

The bracelet. With everything that was going on, the other woman wanted to talk about a bracelet? Kayla found herself rolling her eyes. They had things to do, like find the Tesseract, like finding Clint and stopping a war. “We’re at _war,_ and you want to talk about a bracelet.”

The redhead seemed like she hadn’t heard the girl, taking a step forward. She released her fingers from Kayla’s arm and let it fall to her side. “Why do you have it?”

Kayla took a step back, rubbing her arm where the other woman’s grip had been tight. She looked up into green eyes, seeing anger. _What happened to being straight-faced?_ “He,” she paused, looking away. Her eyes flickered across the wall behind the agent, thinking about a month ago. “He gave it to me.”

“What do you mean, he _gave_ it to you?” The agent stepped forward. “He hasn’t taken that bracelet off, _ever_. Not in three years.”

She looked down at the bracelet, feeling her eyes widen in surprise. _Three years?_ Her finger ran over the metal piece. “I- he gave it to me, right before he left for Paris, to _you._ Told me to keep it safe for him, until he got back. But that was over a month ago.”

She didn’t know why she continued talking; she didn’t want to. Something in her kept her mouth moving. This occurred more now, with this team, than it had ever in her life, the not being able to stop talking. She saw the agent’s eyes flicker across her face, and the brunette took another step back. She didn’t want to talk about the moments she shared with Clint. But, now that she had started, she couldn’t stop. “When he got back, a few days later, I tried to give it back to him. He said no, that I should keep it. So I have.”

After a few moments of the woman staring at each other, Romanoff ducked her head. The moment that the two broke eye contact, Kayla snapped. Emotions flooded over her; pain, hope, loss. She moved, walking around the other woman in a fast pace so she couldn’t see the tear that slid down the brunette’s cheek.

oOo

They all stood or sat at the table in the bridge, except Stark, a small distance apart. None of them had changed out of their uniforms. Thor had removed a few pieces of his – the red cape and the silver armor that had lined his arms – and was now standing by the table, a hand on his chin in thought.

“… a mindless beast.” Kayla hadn’t been looking down at the live feed of Loki on the table. She couldn’t look at him. Now that she was finally away from eye sight, away from that glare and ice eyes, she didn’t plan on looking at him anytime soon. She sat in a chair, idly spinning a few inches before spinning back. The girl couldn’t sit still, not with Loki’s spiel running through her head. What he had said last made her eyes flicker up at Bruce. He was standing behind a chair, his glasses on the bridge of his nose and his arms crossed. He looked up for a moment before looking down at the screen in front of him again. “Makes play he’s still a man. How _desperate_ are you?” A pause and he continued. “You call on such lost creatures to defend you.”

 _Lost creatures._ Did he mean the team? Kayla closed her eyes, wondering if that had been meant for _her_. She sure felt lost most of the time, especially after Norway. She wasn’t sure where she belonged anymore, learning the things she was, knowing that she had only been recruited due  to the fact that she wasn’t entirely human. _Creatures._ The girl manifested shards and a shield for a living, she could be classified as a _creature_ , but so could Bruce, a mindless beast apparently. Their team was a mess.

Fury’s voice came through the feed, who had escorted Loki to the container he was in now. Kayla opened her eyes, settling them on Thor across from her on the other side of the table. “How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can’t hope to control. You talk about peace, and you still kill because it’s _fun._ You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did.”

“Oh,” Loki’s voice chilled her to the bone. “It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract. To have power, _unlimited_ power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what real power is.”

There was a pause, and then Fury spoke up again. “Well let me know if real power wants a magazine or something.”

Kayla couldn’t help the small smile that slipped onto her lips, even though she shivered from Loki’s words. She heard a beep as the screen in front of Romanoff blinked out.

“He really grows on you, doesn’t he?” Bruce joked.

“Loki’s going to drag this out.” Cap said, and Kayla’s eyes flickered over to him where he sat on her right. His own eyes looked up, to Thor. “So. Thor, what’s his play?”

“He has an army, called the Chitauri,” Thor’s deep accented voice responded. “They’re not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth in return, I suspect, for the Tessearact.”

Thor turned to the table, eyes landing on each of the Earthlings apologetically. Kayla’s eyes flickered to Maria Hill, who now stood behind the god, listening in.

“An army,” Cap said in disbelief. Kayla felt the same. She wondered if this was all just a dream, that is she just woke up it would all be gone. Cap looked over at Romanoff and then Kayla. “From outer space.”

“So he’s building another portal.” Bruce removed his glasses and held them in his hands. “That’s what he needs Erik Selvig for.”

“Selvig?”

It wasn’t quite a question, but Bruce answered Thor anyways. “He’s an astrophysicist.”

“He’s a friend.”

Kayla was taken aback. Had Thor met the doctor in New Mexico? If so, that was something Clint hadn’t told her about. She had met Selvig a few times at S.H.I.E.L.D., had maybe even been recruited because of New Mexico.

“Loki has him under some kind of spell,” Romanof paused, looking at Kayla for a split second before looking away. “Along with one of ours.”

The mention of Clint made Kayla uncomfortable. When she had first sat at the table, the redhead had slid her a file and told her to read. It was about Clint. He _had_ been in Germany, and she read about what he had done. That Loki had done what he did to a man’s eye so that Clint could break into the building to steal that Iridium. She rubbed her arms, her arms now cold from taking off her jacket, although it wasn’t from the weather. _Would he remember?_ Loki was putting him through so much, and Kayla wondered if he would get better, if he would _remember._

“I want to know why Loki let us take him,” Cap’s voice brought her back to the table. He looked around at everyone. “He’s not leading an army from here.”

“I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki.” Bruce gestured to the screen in front of him, turning back to Cap. “That guy’s brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell the crazy on him.”

“Have care how you speak.” Thor took a step forward again, a trace of anger in his voice. “Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he’s my brother.”

“He killed eighty two people in two days.” Romanoff stated.

“He’s adopted?”

Kayla spoke up for the first time, tapping her fingers on her arms as she continued to spin her chair slightly. “You’re right, Cap. He can’t do anything in that cage. So what’s the point?”

“I think it’s about the mechanics.” Dr. Banner looked at Kayla for a moment before meeting the eyes of the others. “Iridium. What do they need the Iridium for?”

“It’s a stabilizing agent.” Kayla spun in her chair at the new voice. Tony Stark walked into the bridge, minus the Iron Man suit. He was wearing a dark suit and a blue button up shirt and a gray tie. Walking in next to him was Agent Couslon. Tony turned to the agent, quietly telling him something, gesturing with his hand. Coulson nodded back before pointing to the right, where he walked to stand far behind Rogers, file in hand. Kayla hadn’t seen him all day, since they took a trip to Germany.

“Means, the portal won’t collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D.” Kayla watched the billionaire walk forward, making his way towards Thor. The image of the base crumbling to the ground took up the girl’s vision before she blinked and it disappeared. Tony held up a hand to Thor, lightly hitting him on the shoulder as he said, “No hard feelings, Point Break, you got a mean swing.”

Kayla watched the expression on the god’s face as he looked at his shoulder where the billionaire hit him before turning to the man.

“Also,” Stark passed Hill, who crossed her arms over her chest watching him go by. “Means the portal can open as _wide_ and stay open as _long_ as Loki wants.” Tony paused at the end of the platform, where the Director usually stands. Kayla watched Hill roll her eyes.

“Uh, raise the missy mess,” Stark gestured to the left. “Ship the tops house,” he gestured to the right.

To Kayla, it sounded like gibberish. She found herself rolling her own eyes and shaking her head before spinning her chair again.

“That man is playing Galaga!” Tony raised his arm and pointed across the bridge to the right in that general area. “Thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.” Then he paused, raising a hand to his face. “How does Fury even see these?”

“He turns.” Hill answered.

“Sounds exhausting.” Tony turned then, walking over to a screen and laid his finger on the glass, touching it in a few places. He moved to the next and touched a few more. “The rest of the raw materials Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source, of high energy density. Something to, kick start the cube.”

At the mention of Clint, for who knows how many times that day, Kayla’s eyes followed all of Stark’s movements, right up until the moment Stark snapped his fingers and clapped his hands together. She felt her stomach drop, thinking about how he was right in the middle of this whole mess. _Get ahold of yourself,_ she thought to herself as she spun in her chair again. _Seriously._

“When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?” Hill questioned, seeming confused.

“Last night.” Tony paused, looking around when it became silent in the room. “The packet? Selvig’s notes? The extraction theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?”

“I did. Just didn’t understand any of it.” Kayla announced to no one in particular. It wasn’t exactly a reading anyways. She had tried her best to read the file, but there were too many unknown words, and diagrams that didn’t make sense. Stark pointed at her, like he was going to say something, but Cap interrupted. She wondered what he would have said.

“Does Loki need any particular power source?”

“He’d have to heat the cube to 120 million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier.” Bruce paused behind Cap.

“Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunnel effect.” Tony said, walking a few paces towards Bruce.

 “Well, if he could do that he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet.”

“ _Finally_ , someone who speaks English.” Tony said, looking around the table as if to say “come on,” and walked over to Bruce.

Cap sat forward, mouth hanging open. “Is that what just happened?”

“It’s good to meet ya, Dr. Banner.” Bruce nodded as the two shook hands. Tony pointed. “Your work on anti-electron collision is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”

Bruce looked down, clearly a little upset. “Thanks.”

“Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube,” Fury’s voice rang out as he entered the room, and Kayla pushed her feet on the floor to turn again. “I was hoping you might join him.”

The two brunettes glanced at each other.

“I’d start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon.” Cap turned to the two men. For some reason, Kayla found it annoying that he said _stick_ , considering that it practically _broke_ her, if it weren’t for her own shield.

“I don’t know about that, but it is powered by the cube.” Fury’s voice grew, now he too sounded annoyed. “And I’d like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his own personal flying monkeys.”

“Monkeys?” Thor’s eyebrows furrowed. “I do not understand.”

“I do!” Cap exclaimed, his finger shooting into the air. He looked happy, a small smile on his lips that faded as he looked around at the others. No one was amused except him. “I-I understood that reference.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. She never did like that movie for some reason growing up. Now she liked it even less.

“Shall we play, Doc?”

“This way, sir.” Bruce led Tony away, down the hall.

Kayla watched Romanoff and Fury walk over to Hill and the three conversed, and she finally stood. The girl slowly walked, until she was standing next to Thor. The Asgardian looked down at her. “Kayla?”

“Yes, that’s right.” She liked that he called her by her name, instead of something she couldn’t even think of. He was foreign, after all. She smiled up at him. On most guys, the long hair would freak a woman out, but on the blonde, it fit him. “So, I was wondering if I could talk to you.”

The blonde nodded, stepping closer to her. “Yes. Of course.”

“I’ve been a little late to the party, as Stark put it.” She rolled her eyes at the mention of the engineer. Meeting his blue eyes again, her smile grew. “I was wondering if you could tell me a little about Asgard.”

Thor seemed to relax then, and even perk up a little at the mention of hi home planet. It was good, to distract him and her both, even for a little while. To keep the thoughts of cold and ice blue eyes from her mind. “Of all the nine realms…”

Thinking about it later, Kayla replayed the story Thor told. Something Thor said about Asgard – during a story of one of the realms - reminded her somehow, of Clint. Memories played in her head.

oOo

_The two sat on the rooftop of Kayla’s loft, the one that S.H.I.E.L.D. let her stay in while she was in New York. Clint sat beside her, legs hanging off the edge of the building as his arms rested against the railing in front of him. She was sitting the same way, although she had made sure that she was back a couple of inches farther than him, so she was careful not to fall._

_Clint had driven over, checking on her because of earlier. Kayla had shown up for their training session, almost at the brink of tears. When he asked what was wrong, she had asked for a favor. “Sure,” he had said. She ran her hands through her hair frantically. “I just need today off. I can’t think_ today _.”_

_When she didn’t answer the door, he called her cell, and she told him that she was on the roof. They sat together, staring out at the city and the stars around them. They had watched the sun set, and the sky darken. It was the first time the two were able to just talk, about anything and nothing. They talked about current events, about the weather, about movies. What they didn’t talk about was S.H.I.E.L.D., or training. The two joked around and laughed, sitting up on that rooftop for hours._

_Kayla finally built up the courage to talk about why she needed that favor. “Clint.”_

_“Yeah,” He replied, still staring out at the sky. When she didn’t answer, he looked at her, and she nodded._

_“Today is Tessa’s birthday.”_

_“Oh.” His voice turned soft and understanding. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind around them._

_“She would have been twenty one today.” She choked on the last words, feeling a tear slide down her cheek. Before she knew what was happening, Clint wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side in a hug. “Shh.”_

_Once her head hit his shoulder, Kayla couldn’t help the tears that spilled out of her eyes, and her breath hitched. “Kayla, you’re not alone.”_

_She was grateful. She was happy that someone other than herself knew of the girl, even if it was from stories or mentions of the girl. Kayla was happy that Clint was there for her, on that day. She didn’t have anyone else, except maybe Coulson. But he hadn’t been the one to stop by to see if she was okay; Clint had, and she was grateful._

_She cried for a few minutes, and when her cheeks were dry, he continued to hold her as they looked up at the stars around them, the wind blowing through their hair and clothes. The only sounds were the cars down on the streets below, and the sounds of their breathing._


	7. Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayla picks a side.

Confused, Kayla stepped into the lab with a glance back down the hallway. She heard Stark say as she entered, “…and you just might.”

Both of the men glanced at her as she moved closer to them. “Just ran into Cap. What’s his problem?” She obviously missed something.

“Oh, you know.” Stark waved a hand in the air in her direction. “Just you and your agent friends keeping secrets.” He moved from the screen to raise his eyebrows at the girl.

“ _What?_ ”

“Tony, she’s not with S.H.I.E.L.D.” Bruce said from where he stood at his own screen. “She already told me that she doesn’t even _like_ them.”

“But she’s bunking with them.” Tony accused. “You must favor them.”

“ _Excuse_ me?” Kayla stepped forward, anger slipping into her voice. Who could blame her? She was already on edge from the whole Clint’s-been-abducted-by-a-crazy-person situation, and he just set her off. She stared at Stark through the glass screen in between them. “I’m _only_ training under S.H.I.E.L.D. because nobody else _offered_. I was so scared when I found out how much of a _freak_ I was, until I got some help. And actually, although it’s none of your business, I planned on leaving after we found the cube. _So,_ why don’t we stick to that, huh?”

“What are you _really_ doing here, New Kid?” The billionaire stepped around the screen to take a few steps towards her.

“I’m here because of Norway! That’s how I got my powers!” Memories of blood washed over her. She thought about holding the girl in her arms, the life draining out of her, the two bodies across from them. Kayla’s fists clenched at her sides. “I’m here to _fight_.”

“There’s nothing to fight, at least not yet. So why’d they bring you in, if you can’t _really_ help find the Tesseract?” Tony pulled a blueberry out of the package he was holding in his hand and popped it into his mouth. He talked around it. “Cap’s here because he’s dealt with it before. Me and the doc here are tracking it. Point Break is helping with his brother, and the rest of the people here are with S.H.I.E.L.D. So, if you’re not with S.H.I.E.L.D., then why are you here?”

“Fury asked me to come in, and if it means finding Cl-“ Kayla closed her mouth before she could finish. She could already feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She was still angry, _pissed_ even.

“Oh,” Tony frowned, walking back to his screen. “ _That’s_ why you’re here. For Barton.”

“Not with S.H.I.E.L.D., like she said.” Bruce said softly, shaking his head.

She uncurled her fingers from a fist and turned towards Bruce, the anger slowly suppressing. “Doctor, is there anything I can do?”

He shook his head. “Not unless you know anything about physics.”

Kayla walked over to the window that viewed the bottom of the Helicarrier, the opening into the sky. “Nope. I’m just an author.” The girl hoisted herself up onto the counter and let her legs dangle off the edge. She examined the scepter, lying a few feet away from her. “What good is that, anyways? Books don’t save lives.”

“Why waste your time writing books then?”

“Stark,” Kayla looked up at Bruce who defended her. His eyes narrowed at Stark.

“What? She’s the one who said it.”

She wasn’t angry anymore. Instead, she was sad as she thought about her past, of being an author. “I use to _love_ it. Writing was my whole life. But I haven’t touched a pencil or a keyboard in eight months and eleven days. Not since Norway.”

Stark raised an eyebrow, surprised that she had counted the days.

“What happened in Norway?” Kayla looked at the doctor. He seemed confused as he turned from his screen to look at her. “Sorry, but your file just says that’s when your powers first manifested. Because of an, uh, emotional outburst.”

“Sounds familiar,” Tony muttered with a glance at Bruce, who only rose an eyebrow in response.

“So, what happened?”

Kayla met the eyes of the doctor before glancing at Stark. “Everything.”

oOo

After she chatted with the two in the lab, Kayla left to find a shower and a change of clothes. A door had been labeled _Locker Room_ , and had a pink woman on the door. Down the hall was one that matched with a blue man. She felt a whole lot better now that she was clean. As she was blow drying her hair at one of the many mirrors, she looked at the small cut on her forehead, up by her hairline. She wondered if it would scar, even if it was a small cut. Kayla looked at herself in the mirror, surprised. It had been weeks since she had done just that, and the person in the mirror staring back at her was the same… yet so different. She looked the same, but she didn’t _feel_ the same. Ever since Fury had said, “Barton’s been compromised,” and “we are at war,” she had felt like a huge weight had been dropped onto her shoulders. Her whole time at S.H.I.E.L.D., and she hadn’t been in a real fight or even on a real mission. But now, joining this team, she was scared.

Kayla had watched S.H.I.E.L.D. crumble to the ground with people still inside the base. She had gone through hearing that Clint had been brainwashed, she had been hit with a blast from Loki’s scepter and watched him stand above a group of people. And now the threat of an army of an alien race hung over them all and they were expected to protect Earth. She could do that, or at least try, as long as she was in an actual battle. As long as she was fighting, shards in hand, she could become a warrior. Confident and ready to kick ass. All her worries and doubts faded away when she held her shards, and she could become someone else.

She finished blow drying her hair without looking at herself. Once she was done, she replaced the tool where she found it, looked at herself one last time, then walked over to the bench and sat. She pulled her socks on, then laced up her boots. She wore the pants of her uniform, and thought about wearing the top but changed her mind. Instead, she pulled on a gray long sleeve shirt and exited the locker room. She had grabbed an apple that was sitting in a bowl, and started down the hallway, biting into the fruit. She had found the bowl in a random room she passed through.

Back in the lab, she sat on the counter again, watching the two men – did they both count as scientists? Could Stark be classified as one? Or geniuses? They had already started tracking the cube, and were now talking about something in hushed voices. Too bad Kayla overheard. “You’re hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Tony spun around, letting out a breath of air. “Yes, now are you going to go tattle tale on us?”

“ _Hell_ no.” Kayla shook her head as both men looked surprised. She took another bite of her apple before pointing at them. “Go for it.”

“Rogers got all upset when he found out and stormed out.” _Hm_ , she thought, _that’s why he marched out of here and practically crushed me in the hall._ Kayla nodded. She was slowly getting more and more upset with the agency. “Well, I think you guys have the right idea. They’re hiding something.”

“See, Doc, even _she_ thinks so.” Tony pointed at her before crossing his arms. He leaned against the counter farther down than where she was, as Bruce leaning against the table that the scepter was on.

Kayla fiddled with the small device in her ear, the one that Coulson had given her right after she had left the bridge. He had told her to keep it on the frequency that it was on, that it was the frequency for the team. Meaning Coulson, Romanoff and Fury, maybe even Hill, and it was probably hooked in with Tony’s suit.

The screen in front of Stark beeped once, and he sat up straighter. Kayla finished her apple and threw the core in the garbage can. “What, are you in?”

“What are you doing, Mr. Stark?” Startling Kayla, Fury walked into the lab, his stride meaningful as he glanced around at the three.

“Uh, kinda been wondering the same thing about you.”

“You’re supposed to be locating the Tesseract.”

“They are.” Kayla piped in, sliding off the counter and walking around the counter.

“The model’s locked, and we’re sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we’ll have a location within a half a mile.” Bruce said. Kayla smiled as he pointed across the room to the screen that was doing the tracking. Bruce leaned back, confident. Now, they were one step closer to ending this thing.

“Yeah, we’ll get your cube back. No muss no fuss.” Stark said. The screen beeped again in front of Stark as his finger swiped across the screen. Kayla stood across from him, Bruce and Fury on her sides as they stood in a wide circle, Fury farther away. Tony asked, “What _is_ Phase Two?”

A loud _clang_ rang out in the room, causing all of them to turn at the sound. Rogers laid down some sort of gun on the table across the room, then walked forward. “Phase Two is S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the cube to make _weapons._ Sorry, computer was moving a little too slow for me.”

Fury forward to reassure the captain. “Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract, this does not mean-“

“I’m sorry Nick,” Tony interrupted, spinning the screen to face the others. “What were you lying?”

Kayla stepped forward, taking in the sight. The screen held exactly what Rogers had said; weapons. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She had spent six months of her life training under these people just to have them ready for a great war to happen. Before anyone could say anything, Thor and Romanoff walked into the lab. Kayla felt a surge of anger run through her. “Great. Family reunion. I can’t _believe_ this!”

“I was wrong, Director. The world hasn’t changed a bit.”

Bruce pointed at the redhead, looking a little hurt. “Did you know about this?”

She stepped forward, and Bruce stepped around Kayla, in between her and Tony. Romanoff was on her right, a few feet away. “You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?”

Bruce laughed, humorless. “I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed.”

“Loki is manipulating you.”

“And you’ve been doing what, exactly?”

“You didn’t come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.”

“Yes, and I’m not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy.”

 Kayla spoke up, looking at Romanoff and then Fury. “Why the _hell_ is S.H.I.E.L.D. building weapons of mass destruction using the Tesseract?”

“I’d like to know that. Please, enlighten us.” Bruce pointed at the screen with his glasses.

“What are you trying to do, start World War III?” Kayla asked, and a small pause filled the room.

“Because of him,” Fury raised his arm, pointing at Thor.

“Me?” The god asked, confused.

“Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet, who had a grudge match that leveled a small town.” Fury paused. After glancing at Kayla, he turned to Bruce, and then Rogers. “We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, _hilariously_ outgunned.”

“My people want nothing but peace for your planet.” Thor defended from where he stood next to Romanoff.

“But you’re not the only people out there, are you? And you’re not the only threat.” The Director turned, addressing everyone. “The world’s filling up with people who can’t be matched. That can’t be controlled.”

Rogers spoke, clearly angry. “Like you control the cube?”

“Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, _and_ his allies.” Thor took a step forward. “It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war.”

“A higher form?” Cap asked.

“You forced our hand. We had to come up with-“ Fury was interrupted.

“A nuclear deterrent?” Tony asked, now sarcastic. “’Cause that always calms everything right down.”

“Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?” Fury retorted.

“I’m sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-“ Cap had taken a step towards the billionaire, who also interrupted him.

“Wait, wait. Hold on. How is this now about me?”

“I’m sorry, isn’t everything?” Rogers said as he stepped forward and Stark did the same.

“I thought humans were more evolved than this.” Thor stated, looking unamused.

Everyone then started to talk over one another. It was impossible to keep track of all the banters. Kayla heard Romanoff say something about threat levels, and Bruce asking if Captain America was on that threat list. Kayla took the moment to step forward, pointing a finger at said person. “Yeah, you know what, it _is_ your fault.”

“My fault?” The captain questioned.

“If it weren’t for you and you’re little buddy, Howard,” Kayla looked at Stark, “Yes, that’s right, _your_ father. If he hadn’t been digging around with the Tesseract in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“What are you even _doing_ here?” Cap’s blue eyes questioned, anger falling off the guy. “You’re just a kid playing at being a hero.”

Anger boiled through her blood, but with a shake of her head, she turned to Thor, taking a few steps toward the god. She didn’t get another word out as she shook her head again, clearing her mind of words she didn’t want to say. She rubbed a hand across her face, feeling dizzy all of a sudden; out of control.

“You speak of control, yet you cause chaos.” Thor’s booming voice reached her ears as the arguing continued.

“It’s his M.O., isn’t it?” Bruce spoke. “I mean, what are we, a team? No no no,” Bruce looked around at everyone, smiling humorlessly as his eyes landed on Kayla. “We’re a chemical mixture that _makes_ chaos. We’re, we’re a time bomb.”

“Bruce,” Kayla said, seeing his hand move, seeing where he was standing.

“You,” Fury stepped towards the doctor. “Need to step away.”

“Why shouldn’t the guy let off a little steam,” Stark said, clamping on a hand on the super soldier’s shoulder.

Rogers pushed his hand off, turning a glare towards the engineer. “You know damn well why. Back off.”

Kayla blinked. Captain America, swearing? _Wow._

Stark sent his own glare towards the captain. “Oh, I’m starting to want you to make me.”

“Yeah,” Rogers stepped forward again. “A big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

Stark didn’t miss a beat. “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong there.

“I know guys with none of that worth _ten_ of you. And I’ve seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play. To lay down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

“I think I would just cut the wire.”

Cap smiled, turning quickly to the other member of the team before staring at Stark. “Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.”

“A hero? Like you?” Stark leaned forward, accusation and anger clear on his face. “You’re a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a _bottle._ ”

Anger rolled off the two. “Put on the suit. Let’s go a few rounds.”

Thor’s laughter turned heads. He looked across at the two in argument. “You people are so petty. And _tiny._ ”

“Yeah, _this_ is a team.” Bruce called out.

“Agent Romanoff,” Fury turned his attention back to Bruce. “Would you please escort Dr. Banner back to his room?”

Before the director finished speaking, Banner butted in. “Where? You rented out my room.”

“The cell was just in case-“

“In case you had to kill me, but you can’t, I know, I’ve tried.” Kayla whipped around, staring at Bruce with wide eyes, seeing that he was completely serious. The doctor glanced at everyone. “I got low. I didn’t see an end, so, I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy _spit_ it out. So, I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show, and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?”

Everyone noticed at the same time, and every one tensed up.

“Dr. Banner,” Cap said, perfectly calm now. “Put down the scepter.”

Bruce stared down at the spear in his hand, confused. Before he could make a move, the screen across the room went off. Everyone turned, startled.

“Got it.” Fury stepped towards the computer.

“Sorry kids. You don’t get to see my party trick after all,” Bruce said as he set the scepter down on the table, and began his walk, passing Kayla on her left. He didn’t make contact with any of them, just headed towards the computer.

“You located the Tesseract?” Thor asked at the same time Kayla asked, “You got it?”

“I can get there faster,” She heard Stark call out, only faintly hearing him. The girl was focused on the screen, thinking that if they found the Tesseract, they had to have found Clint too.

“The Tesseract belongs on Asgard,” Thor’s voice was the loudest of all them behind her. “No human is a match for it.”

Kayla ignored everyone else as she saw how Bruce’s back tensed up, and heard the unmistakable words, “Oh my god.”

No sooner had the words left the doctors mouth did an explosion blast through the room directly in the middle of the lab, the force causing everyone to be thrown backwards. Kayla was blown to her right, directly into Thor, and the two tumbled to the floor a few feet away. She only hit her head against the metal on his chest, but it was enough to make her dizzy for a few seconds. Her shield stretched out form her core, engulfing Thor and her in a pink glow, although it was a little late. It seemed to protect her, whenever she was in trouble, even if she had only slightly hit her head. Thor’s body had cushioned her fall, and even now, he was pulling her up and away from the hole in the floor.

The girl coughed, the smoke filling her lungs as her shield faded away. Thor looked down at her in wonder before growing serious, hands hovering over her where she sat on the floor. The comm came to life in her ear. There was still a slight ringing in her ears from the explosion, but she heard bits and pieces of what was being said. An engine was down, and Stark was headed over to repair it. That was good at least.

“Kayla!” Thor yelled. He must have said her names a few times and she hadn’t heard him. She coughed again, looking up at the god. Now having her attention, he asked, “Are you hurt?”

After a second of processing what he had said, she shook her head. “No,” She realized that it had come out a whisper compared to the chaos around them, and she raised her voice. “No, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy. We should help Stark with the engine. It’s down.”

The blonde nodded, hands wrapping around her waist and an arm. She stood with the help of Thor, looking around. No one was with them, and she hoped that they were all right. Raking through her memory, she was sure that no one was in the direct vicinity of the blast, so they should all be fine. When it looked like she could walk by herself, they headed to the hall where they could leave the damage. The halls were flashing red, and a chorus of alarms were going off. The hall was mostly clear, except a few vents and pieces of wall that scattered the floor. There was steam coming out of a section of the wall, but other than that, there wasn’t much damage. The majority of it must have been to the engines.

It wasn’t much longer that the two walked, then picked up their pace and began to jog, heading towards the engine rooms with some directions from one of the agents in the hall. She was pretty sure they only had to turn a few more times to get to the main corridor towards the engines. Kayla was about to repeat this to Thor when an unmistakable sound rang through the Helicarrier. The girl closed her eyes, but she couldn’t remember which way Bruce had fallen. She knew that there was no mistaking that sound.

That was the roar of the Hulk.

 _Oh no_.


	8. Separation, Blood Shed, and a Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor faces the Hulk as Kayla faces blood shed.

“No,” Kayla grabbed onto Thor’s shoulders, her mind flashing through images of Harlem. She knew that Bruce was good at keeping the Hulk down, but once he was out... She was thinking fast, seeing the opportunity in front of her. “You’re a god, right?”

“What was that?”

“Thor!” she shook him, although not much. He was big, tall and strong. She herself was shaking, feeling nauseas as fear raked through her body. She released her grip on the blonde as she took in a deep breath and he stared down at her like she had grown another head, but there was no time to waste. That had been the Hulk’s roar. “Thor, that was Bruce. That was the Hulk.”

He looked down at the girl, the strange look he had been giving her turning into confusion. “That sound?” A unit blew in the ceiling a foot away from them, both covering their faces with an arm as the sparks rained down.

She was panicking now, thinking about what was happening and how to stop it. “Thor. Bruce, when he gets mad or stressed, he’s not himself. He grows! He turns into a monster, all big and green! He’s hell bent on smashing things! You’re a god, with super strength and your hammer, you can take him on, right?”

Thor looked down at her, hearing the panic in her voice and the fear on her face. “I can try.”

“You _have_ to! From what I’ve seen, what he can do is _not_ pretty. Thor, we can’t let him hurt anyone. You have to stop him, or try to get him off the ship or something!.”

With a nod, Thor took off in the direction that the roar had come from. She hoped he would get there in time.

Kayla continued down the hall in a jog, and as she turned a corner, the com in her ear came alive again. “ _Perimeter breach. Hostiles are in S.H.I.E.L.D. gear_.” She swore loudly, stopping only long enough to check her surroundings for anyone in gear. When the coast was clear, she continued at a slower pace, looking out for any “hostiles”. If the explosion had been an attack, then there was a possibility that they would attack again, and not just the engines. It was a good thing Kayla knew what the gear looked like, and it was good that the agents weren’t wearing it, so she could tell the difference.

Over the comm, she heard that they were trying to get the Hulk off the Hellicarrier, and that Thor had been keeping him busy. She breathed a sigh of relief as she turned another corner. At the end of the corridor, two men in black walked out of sight. That was S.H.I.E.L.D. gear.  _Now we just have to deal with these guys._ Kayla called on two shards and they slid into her hands, the pink glow lighting up the dark hall where the lights went out.

The hostiles were heading in the direction of the engines that Rogers and Stark were working at, so she quietly made her way down the hall and peeked around the corner. Both of the men in black had guns, ready to fire as they stopped at a doorway, the sunlight streaming into the corridor. Two more men met them at the doorway, slipping in. That was when the gunshots started, and Kayla reacted. She stepped out and the next thing she knew, a shard was flying down the hall and sinking into the shoulder of one of the mercenaries. The man let out a grunt of pain, and Kayla sent another shard down as she jogged forward. The second shard sunk into his chest as he turned and let out a few shots before he fell to the ground. The girl pressed herself up to the wall as the next man turned and began to shoot at her. She called on two longer shards as her shield wrapped around her and stepping forward again. The man stood with his gun raised, bullets hitting her shield that protected her as she continued forward.

When she was close enough, even as he had taken a few steps back, she stared at him through the pink of her shield and plunged the shard into his chest. Her fingers let go of the shard as gravity pulled the limp body to the floor. When there were no more threats in sight, Kayla looked down at the two bodies on the floor, shards pointing out of their chests. She took in the sight and finally realized what she had just done.

Kayla Hudson had just killed two people.

She stared down at the bodies, feeling her guard slip. _What have I done?_ Her shield faded and she started falling, but caught herself against the wall. The cool metal pressed against her forehead as she fought back the urge to puke with tears running down her cheeks. Old memories surfaced, blood and knives filling her vision. Panic filled her, closing around her. Sounds of footsteps filled her ears, and she realized that was the present, and she immediately called on her shield to wrap around her in a dome. The girl stood up straight, two more shards in hand as bullets hit her shield. She flinched, but her shield held.

Hesitating, she stared at two more men pointing guns at her down the corridor a bit. They were shooting at her. _Self-defense_ , she told herself as she flung her shards out towards them and stepped forward as she replaced the shards. The closest man ducked to the side, causing a shard to graze his shoulder. Both shards flew towards the second man, who fell to the ground to avoid being hit, and the pink objects clattered to the floor. Neither went down, so Kayla stepped forward, swinging a shard, making to stab the closest man. Her dome shrank as got closer, the man taking the opportunity to fire at her. She moved to the side, sinking the shard into his side and kicking the gun out of his hands. Her second shard sank into his shoulder and she crouched, pulled the man in front of her as the second began shooting at her.

Bullets hit the first man, and blood poured out of him as his body went limp. Kayla sat on the floor, then raised her feet and kicked the body with all of her strength towards the second, causing him to topple into the wall with the weight. She heard a grunt as she stood and pulled the shard out of the body, but before she could move, a gun was flying through the air and hit her, hard. Her head rang as she fell to the floor, a hand rising to her temple as she blinked hard. A shadow passed over her, and she immediately kicked out, hitting the gun as another shot rang out and it clattered to the floor a few feet away. The mercenary still stood over her, and she watched as he pulled a knife out. Anger washed over her as she reached her own hand out, grabbing onto the discarded weapon from a body and pointing the gun at her attacker and pulling the trigger. She let out a scream and closed her eyes as the man lunged at her, but the only pain that came was the weight of man as he fell on top of her.

Kayla let out another sigh as she realized that he was dead, and she quickly pushed the body off of her, and felt something hit her legs. The com had fallen out of her ear, and it was completely broken. She tossed it down the hall. She stood and looked around, the gun in her hand clattering to the floor. _What have I done?_ She though in horror as she looked at four bodies on the floor, her shards still embedded in some. Tears slid down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the blood and bodies around her.

The Helicarrier started tipping, and Kayla was thrown into the wall. She felt a sob escape her lips, and she tried to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. After a few moments of trying to get herself together, she finally pulled herself up and walked over to the two longer shards a few feet away, picked them up, and made her way to the doorway with the light streaming into the hall.

 _Focus,_ she told herself as she stepped into the room and took a deep breath, although it wasn’t exactly a room. The wall had been blown off, the engine broken as wires and metal hung off the ship. Gunfire sounded around her and she moved to a crouch as she looked around. She didn’t get a chance to actually see anything before the ship was tipping again, sending Kayla forward. She would have fallen right off into the sky if it hadn’t been for the railing in front of her. A scream erupted from her lips as she freed her hands to grab onto the railing, holding on for dear life, her shards falling into the sky.

Kayla tried pulling herself upwards, but the ship was tipped, so her legs were dangling in the air a little. Fear closed around her as she hung in the air. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Rogers hanging off the ship too, a cord the only thing keeping him aboard.

“Kayla!” She saw him look past her, back towards the entrance. She followed his gaze, seeing another mercenary, gun in hand. He didn’t seem to see her, only Rogers, so she stayed still where she hung. Rogers was pulling himself back onto the ship, and she wished she had that kind of strength to pull herself up.

“I need a minute here!” Rogers said as he stood. She realized that he hadn’t been talking to her, but he must have been talking to someone on the com. The Hellicarrier was leveled out now, and the gunman was shooting at Rogers, who was dodging and looking at a red lever a few feet away. Kayla’s arms were getting weak as she hung there, the mercenary only a few feet from her. The captain had started to fire back as he made his way down towards the lever, picking up the gun on the way.

 _Just a little longer,_ she told herself as she felt her hands slipping. She looked down at the sky below her in fear as one hand slipped off the bar. It was a long drop. A flash above her caused her to look up just in time to see Iron Man zip by, taking out the mercenary. She sighed. _Good, they must’ve fixed the engine._

“Kayla, hold on!” She barely heard the captain as she tried to hold on. Right as her hand started to slip, a red glove wrapped around her wrist. She let out a scream as her hand fell from the bar and her body pulled her down, but she continued to hang.  Kayla looked up at the blue eyes of Captain America. He smiled down at her with reassurance before tugging her up.

She felt her body rise, until her feet touched the metal of the platform. Rogers wrapped an arm around her waist as he helped her over the railing. She clung to him as she stood up straight, breathing heavily in relief as she looked around. Stark lay on the floor as he rolled off of the mercenary. She sighed again as she looked back at the engine. It was fixed and they were still in the sky. On instinct, Kayla wrapped her arms around Rogers’ middle and hugged him for a second before stepping back. “Thank you,” she said, breathlessly.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

She nodded, and he followed suit, looking exhausted. She thought that they were fine. Before her comm had died, she heard that the Hulk was off the ship, although Bruce was gone now, and the engine was back up. She thought that everything would be okay now.

She was wrong.

Kayla watched Stark slowly sit up, his helmet off of his head and thrown to the side. He looked startled as he glanced up at Kayla on the higher platform. With a glance at Rogers, she saw that he, too, looked upset, but not as much as Tony was.

“What?” Kayla asked, staring down at Stark. His mouth hung open as he stood up and turned away. She didn’t miss the disbelief, pain and sadness that had crossed his features before he turned away. “Coulson.”

He didn’t have to finish. Just the way he had said it and the tension of his body told her everything. Kayla’s hand flew to her chest, feeling her heart race. She covered her mouth with her other hand, holding back the sob that threatened to escape her lips. But a tear slipped down her cheek as her body tightened, and she barely felt her shield wrap around her for a moment before shrinking back. _No, not Coulson._

Stark turned his head to the side, anger slipping into his voice. “He’s dead.”

oOo

_“I’m trying here,” Kayla’s voice shook as she squeezed her eyes shut._

_“Try_ harder, _” The voice across from her practically growled. He was about as frustrated as she was, although she didn’t know why. It was her ability, not his, and he shouldn’t be getting this mad over it. Maybe it was because he just didn’t want to be here, or maybe it was because he didn’t want to be here with_ her. _Kayla started to feel something brush her shoulders as she focused, but the sound of his voice broke her concentration. “Do you_ want _to be here?”_

 _Kayla’s eyes snapped open. She studied the brunette across from her. “Are you_ kidding _me? I’ve been here for three months trying to figure this out, but-“_

_He interrupted again. “You already have this figured out. You know how to bring your shield forward, but you insist on finding a different way. Well, a different way isn’t working.”_

_“Don’t you dare,” Kayla said through clenched teeth. She knew exactly what he was going to do next._

_“What, you don’t like picturing Norway?” He glared at her from where he sat, fists clenched. She closed her own eyes shut as she tried to block him out. “You didn’t like imagining the blood on your hands, imagining the warmth leaving her body, making her cold, as you held her? You didn’t like that you were a little too late as the knife slid across-“_

_“Enough!” Kayla yelled, and with the outburst of rage, her shield wrapped around her. The pink glow surrounded her as she glared through the haze that was protecting her at the brunette, humming a melody that only she heard._

_“That’s better.”_

oOo

Thinking of the blood shed caused by her own hands made her shield wrap around her. Thinking of a dead friend made her shield wrap around her. Protecting her. Shielding her.

oOo

Fury had the decency to let the three change before calling for a meeting at the bridge. She didn’t bother, though; she was too shaken up about Coulson to really do anything. Kayla noticed that the locker room hadn’t been damaged, and she checked to make sure she was alone before she sat down on the bench nearest the sinks. The girl stared at her hands hanging in between her legs, the small smear of blood on her knuckles. She felt pressure against her eyes, and to avoid tears, she let out a scream of frustration.

She couldn’t believe that Coulson was dead, that they couldn’t do anything about it because she had been at the _engines_ _killing_ _people_ herself. He had been one of her only friends, out of all the people she had met and talked to, he had been the one that was there for her, that kept her out of trouble. To be a friend when she needed one most.

Kayla shook her head, finally standing to go blow her nose before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She left the locker room, heading wherever her body took her. After roaming the halls, she found a kitchen-looking room. She mindlessly searched the cupboards, trying to clear her head by distracting herself. Nothing caught her eye, except when she hunched down and felt around the back of a bottom shelf. Her hand wrapped around the top of the bottle, and she pulled it out in disbelief. The Helicarrier carried alcohol, and Kayla had somehow found it amongst the huge ship.

The girl stared down at the bottle, the brown liquid swirling in the glass. Sorrow and pain coursed through her muscles and mind. Maybe the alcohol could numb some of that, at least enough so she could forget for a little bit. Kayla swiped the bottle up into her hands and yanked off the top. She didn’t bother with a glass, just raised the bottle to her lips and poured the alcohol into her mouth.

She coughed around the liquid as it burned down her throat. It hurt, but she needed it. She wanted to dull the pain in her chest. Kayla grimaced as she pulled the bottle away and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. Her eyes squeezed shut, and when the liquid was all down, she raised the bottle again. She got in a few more gulps before she stopped to swallow. The alcohol burned her throat, but fortunately, she could already feel the effects. Kayla gulped down some more of the burning liquid before she pushed the cap back onto the bottle and pushed it away from herself. She stared at the brown liquid in front of her.

Thoughts were pushing at her. She had lost a friend, and more were missing, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t save them. She hadn’t _been_ there when she should have.

She felt regret. Guilt. Despair. _Pain._

oOo

_Kayla swung her legs on the bar stool, a good amount of alcohol already in her system. It had been a few hours since her training session at S.H.I.E.L.D., and the girl just wanted a break from everything .Ever since Norway, she had wanted her life to go back to normal, but it had gone in the opposite direction. Everything was changing._

_She brought the glass to her lips and sipped some of the brown liquid. It burned all the way down her throat, but she didn’t care. It was a good distraction. The girl closed her eyes and hummed as she took another sip._

_Her humming was interrupted by a man ordering a drink and taking a seat at the bar stool next to her. It bothered her that he chose the seat_ directly next to her own. _Couldn’t he choose a seat away from a girl who was just trying to find some peace in this messed up world?_ Men, _she thought with a huff._

_She kept her eyes closed until the ordered drink clanked onto the bar next to her and the man finally spoke. “How’s the escape going?”_

_Kayla cracked open an eyelid and peered at Agent Coulson as he raised the glass in his hand up to his lips. She rolled her eyes before tilting her head to the side and focused on the ice at the bottom of her own glass. She blinked away the haze that had started to fog up her brain. Leaning her chin against her hand, she mumbled, her words slurred from the alcohol, “You know… this isn’t the life I w-wanted.”_

_“Actually, I thought you_ wanted _to help people.” The man replied, straightening his tie and turning on his stool. Kayla continued to kick her legs under the counter as she thought. He was right, of course. It was what she wanted after the agency told her that they could help train her._

_What she didn’t want was to be treated like a kid. She voiced her thoughts, her words somewhat slurred with pauses. “I didn’t think… I would be treated like this. Why can’ta go on missions like everyone else?”_

_“You’re not an agent, and you know it.”_

_She sent a glare in his direction. She wasn’t thinking, not with the alcohol in her system. He was right, again._ Why did I say that? _She asked herself, then found herself shaking her head. Her mouth fell open as she took another sip from her glass. When she spoke again, she felt like her tongue was numb. “Why can’ta just be normal? Like you?”_

_There was a moment of silence, and Kayla rose her eyebrows before swinging her head to look at the agent next to her. She waited for the man to answer. Coulson raised his glass again, but paused before touching the glass to his lips. “Because then you wouldn’t be Kayla Hudson.”_

_Kayla rolled her eyes again as a giggle escaped her lips. “Well_ yeaaah. _That’s just_ craaazy. _” She paused as her mind wandered and her smile faded from her lips. She laid her chin on her hand again as she looked at the wall across from her. “But what if I don’t want to be Kayla Hudson? Why can’t I be…?” She trailed off, not thinking straight. She didn’t know how to finish that sentence. So she blurted out, “Someone else.” She paused, a hiccup escaping her throat. “You know,_ awesome _.”_

_A weight pressed down on her forearm, and Kayla dropped her head. Coulson had laid a hand on her arm, and he squeezed comfortingly. She flicked her hazel eyes up to meet his, and the agent stood. “Because then you wouldn’t be special.”_

oOo

Kayla left the bottle on the counter top and turned away. The small amount of alcohol would do. With a push off the counter top, she made her way out the door, heading to the bridge. The girl knew she needed to focus, to worry about the task at hand and not sit and cry with a bottle of whatever. She felt so much older than she was with everything that had happened in the last day. The alcohol barely helped with anything.

After the trek through the corridors, Kayla walked onto the bridge, seeing that Cap and Stark sat with a seat in between them, and Fury was standing on the other side of the table. She took a seat two away from Cap, her gaze trained on the table in front of her as she drummed her fingers on the surface. She saw the cards on the table out of the corner of her eye, and instead stared at the smear of blood on her hand, blood that belonged to someone she had killed.

The Director told them what had happened, that Loki had escaped, that Bruce and Thor were missing. Kayla couldn’t sit still, and found her leg tapping away under the table. Kayla felt the alcohol in her system, if only the slightest bit. It was enough to dull some of the pain and angry. She was angry because Coulson was dead, because Loki had gotten away, because she had _killed_ people and because two people that she had started to care about were now missing, along with Clint.

“I can’t believe he’s dead,” she whispered, shaking her head. _Why wasn’t somebody there? Somebody to watch over that_ monster _?_

“Where’s Natasha?” Cap’s voice snapped through her thoughts.

There was a pause. _Too long of a pause_. Kayla’s eyes snapped up to the Director’s, who was staring right back at her. _No_ , she thought, _she can’t be too._ Fury shook his head as he saw the fear in her eyes, telling her that wasn’t it. A breath fell out of his lips as his eyes flickered around the room before landing on her again. “She’s with Agent Barton.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she froze. She whispered, “He’s here?”

Fury nodded. “The spell that he was under; it’s gone. He’s down in Corridor B.”

“Why didn’t you start with that?” Kayla pushed herself out of her chair and took off in a jog, she had to see it with her own eyes, had to see _him_. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to find it eventually, right?

Flashes of memories flickered in her mind. She thought about his smile, the way he raised an eyebrow, his bad jokes. She thought about when he gave her his bracelet, and how they had talked for _hours_ up on that rooftop. About the time that she had first nicked him with a shard, how she had been over him. She thought about how they went to the bar with a few other agents, including Coulson. About how he had visited her when she was sick. She thought about the last time that they had trained. How they had almost kissed. How he had said her name.

Kayla finally made it to the right corridor, and she slowed her pace as she looked through every window in anticipation. Her heart was racing, thinking that he had to be okay now that he was back, that _she_ would be okay. She passed an empty room, and another.

There he was, sitting on a bed, legs hanging off the side with his hands in his lap. Sweat was on his forehead and neck. He seemed fine, sitting there – next to Romanoff. The two were obviously having a moment of some kind. They were talking. Seeing her not even inches away from him made her stomach flip. Jealousy flared through her as she clenched her fists at her sides, but right now, she couldn’t care about that. He was alive and well, that was all that mattered. It shouldn’t bother her that he was fine in there talking to the redhead. Except, it _did_ bother her.

She stared at the two agents; the partners. Of course the two would have some kind of relationship.. She hung her head and started to slide away when they finally saw her standing outside behind the glass. Kayla’s breath caught in her throat as his eyes met hers. The archer stood, putting the cup in his hand down on the table without taking his eyes off of hers. The look in his eyes made her move, taking a step towards the door and hitting the button to make it slid open.  Before she even knew what she was doing, she was rushing forward, wrapping her arms around his middle. His own arms wrapped around her shoulders immediately and he mumbled into her hair. “Kay.”

“You’re okay,” Kayla said as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. She didn’t know if she was relieved or still trying to convince herself, even as he was right in front of her. “You’re okay.”

“I am.” He squeezed her again before stepping back, laying a hand on the side of her face, thumb hovering over the cut on her forehead. She faintly heard the door _swish_ , and barely glanced around to see that Romanoff had left.

“What he did to you, Clint, what Loki made you _do_ ,” Kayla’s voice broke at the end of the sentence as she looked away, down at his shoulder. “I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. If you were ever going to be _you_ again. I never-“

“Hey,” Clint’s voice softened as he took her face in both of his hands and forced her to look at him. She met his blue eyes, holding back a sob as she breathed deeply. “Hey, I’m okay, I’m _here._ ”

She nodded, and his hands fell to her shoulders as she continued to breathe deeply. Now that she knew he was safe, she felt better. That is until he asked, “What happened to you?”

His eyes were trained on her forehead, looking at the little cut there. She waved a hand. “Just got tossed around a bit, no big deal.” When his eyes traveled south, down to her shirt, she followed his gaze. There was a small cut up under her collar bone, and there was a splatter of blood on her gray shirt that she just realized was there. The cut must have been from when that man had fallen on her, knife in hand. She hadn’t even noticed. And the blood…

She didn’t know what to say. Kayla didn’t care if he didn’t have feelings for her like she did for him, but she at least needed a friend. What if she told him, and he hated her because of what she did? “Clint, I… I killed four people.”

The first tear slid down her face as she looked back up at the archer. Clint froze, staring down at her. She closed her eyes. _He probably_ does _hate me now,_ she thought. _Nice, sweet, innocent Kayla Hudson with blood on her hands._ She opened her eyes to look back up at him, seeing the regret there.

“Clint, _I killed four people_.” Kayla’s voice shook. She almost wished he hated her. “Four human beings, _dead_ because of me. I didn’t even think about what I was doing before they were dead on the floor. Clint, I killed somebody.”

Clint pulled her into another hug as more tears slid down her cheeks, stroking her hair as his other hand tightened on her back. “Shh,” Clint’s voice soother her as he stroked her hair as she continued to cry. “Shh, you’ll get through this. You’re going to be fine.”

He held her for a few minutes, soothing her with words of comfort as she got her sobs under control. When she stopped crying, she pulled back, staring at the wet spot on his shirt, as she wiped her tears on her sleeve. “And Coulson.”

“None of it was your fault,” Clint made her look at him, and she saw the sadness in his eyes at the mention of his handler.

Kayla watched as the emotions fluttered across his face. She stood up straighter as she pointed at him. “None of it is _your_ fault either.” Clint ducked his head, and she knew that was what was bothering him. She was angry then, that he would blame himself for something he didn’t do. It was her turn to comfort him. “Clinton Barton, you are _not_ to blame. You were brainwashed.”

“They were my hands, my body that-“

Kayla cut him off by punching him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t talk like that, okay? It’s no one’s fault but Loki’s. And we’ll make him pay. Got it?”

The archer stared down at her, blue eyes swirling. Knowing that he was safe, Kayla felt the weight lifting off her shoulders. He nodded at her, and she finally allowed herself to smile for the first time in what felt like weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a friendly reminder that the italics are flashbacks, and they are slowly moving from a week ago to months ago. Any questions?


	9. Let the Games Begin

_“You’re getting a new trainer.”_

_“Why?” Kayla asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow at Coulson._

_“Because, Agent Derks doesn’t specialize in aim quite as well as another agent on base.”_

_“You mean Agent Dicks?” Kayla watched as Coulson rolled his eyes. She was actually quite glad. Dicks was a horrible teacher. He was a dick. She shrugged as she looked up at the ceiling with a frown. “Didn’t like him anyway.”_

_Coulson breathed out a laugh as he shook his head. They stood in the training room, waiting. It had been only a minute or two, but she was already bored. “What?” She asked, raising her eyebrow again._

_“You just, act like a child sometimes,” Coulson said with a smile on his lips._

_“Hey, I’m not_ that _old. I’m twenty-six.” Kayla shrugged as she rocked her hips back and forth where she stood. “I’m barely a grown up.”_

_“At least you admit it,” she heard him say with a small grin. Before she could respond, the door to the training room slid open, and a man walked in. “Finally.”_

_“Sorry, got held up.” The man said, walking towards them, a gym bag in hand. He wore black; a black t-shirt and pants. He filled out his t-shirt, enough to see that he worked out regularly. Dark blonde hair pushed up and blue eyes that swept over her, analyzing._

_“Kayla Hudson, meet your new trainer,” Coulson gestured to the man as he stepped closer, stopping with a hand held out in greeting. “Agent Barton.”_

_Her mouth fell open as she looked at him. She had heard of the agent before, from stories told around S.H.I.E.L.D., and even a few mentions of him from Coulson himself. He wasn’t what she had been expecting at all. He was attractive, and taller than she imagined, and so… nice looking. “Uh…”_

_The blonde laughed as a smile spread across his lips. His hand dropped back to his side as his blue eyes looked over at Coulson for a second before he took a step back. He held his arms out, a grin spreading over his features as he gestured to himself. “I’ll give you a minute.”_

_Kayla finally snapped out of her thoughts at his words, feeling her cheeks flush. Her eyes squinted at Coulson at the embarrassment that she blamed on him._ A little warning would have been nice _, she thought as she looked at the blonde again._

_Her cheeks were still warm as he looked at her, a gleam in his eyes. He laughed as he said, “This’ll be fun.”_

oOo

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”                                                                                                                       

“For crying on you,” Kayla stared at the small wet spot on his shoulder. The two had sat and talked for a few minutes, facing each other. She watched him smile and shake his head. “It’s just, you, you know?”

His blue eyes looked up at her as the two lapsed into silence. Kayla felt much better than she did a few minutes ago. Seeing him, back and safe, she felt her heart jump with just being in the same room as him, even if she knew there was still something wrong. “I- I met the team. None of them are like you. None of them really know me yet. But _you_ do.”

She clamped her mouth shut, hearing how sappy that sounded. She still wasn’t sure if he cared about her in _that way_ , or if he even thought of her differently since she had said she had killed people. Plus, with Romanoff in the picture, everything was just that much more complicated.

“Anyways,” Kayla cleared her throat. It just got a little awkward. “I’ll let you… do whatever.”

She stood and turned before closing her eyes and mentally face-palming herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ she thought.

“Kay,” Clint’s voice stopped her, but she didn’t turn around. “Just give me a minute?”

He wanted her to wait for him? Conflicting emotions ran through her body, but she nodded, still turned as she heard a door shut behind her. With a glance, she saw that Clint was gone, and the door to the small room that she assumed was the bathroom was shut. Kayla moved towards the door, a sigh escaping her lips as she stepped out into the hall. The only person out in the hall was Agent Romanoff, who was leaning against the wall right out of view of the glass windows. “Romanoff, how-“

“I think after everything that’s happened,” the redhead spoke as she walked forward with a glance into the room, “You can call me Natasha.”

Kayla raised an eyebrow, staring at the woman. What, were they being nice to each other now? Kayla had snapped at the redhead, had basically ignored multiple orders, and had even managed to annoy the woman and make her suspicious of the author in the short amount of time that they had known each other, and now they were playing nice?

“Natasha.” Kayla tried, crossing her arms over her chest. “How is he?”

The agent took another step forward, looking into the room, confused. “What are you talking about? You just saw him.”

Kayla looked into green eyes. “No, I didn’t. Not really.” She looked through the glass at the closed door in the room, glad that there were two walls between them and Clint. “He looked fine, normal even. And I know he only seemed that way because I was there. But he _had_ to open up to you. He can’t be fine after something like that.”

The agent nodded, letting the silence surround them. She accepted that Kayla was right, and that she should know the truth anyways. “He just needs some time.”

That was the only answer that Kayla was going to get. She nodded, not really understanding, and feeling her heart break a little. “Alright, I guess. He wanted me to stay, but you’re here, so.” She shrugged and pointed down the hall in that general direction, looking away from the redhead. “I think I’ll get some air.”

“Hudson,” Natasha said before she even took one step in any direction. “Explain.”

“What, not Kayla? I think after everything that’s happened…” Kayla mirrored what the other woman said earlier, avoiding the question. She got a stern look in response, a look that said, spill-or-else. “I’m getting some air.”

“No,” Natasha crossed her arms over her chest, looking very determined and a little angry. “There was another meaning behind what you said. That I was here. Explain.”

Kayla knew she wasn’t going to get out of it, so she complied. “You’re,” she paused, swallowing hard with discomfort. She hugged her arms around her waist. “You’re relationship.”

Confusion crossed Natasha’s features, and then realization hit. “You think Clint and I…” Kayla looked away as she trailed off, her stomach flipping. Hearing it said out loud made it ten times worse than when she thought about it on her own. “We’ve been partners for years.”

That just made Kayla’s stomach turn even more.

“Look,” Natasha paused, searching for the right words as she looked through the glass. Suddenly, she asked, “Why do you think Barton gave you that bracelet?”

The question startled Kayla, making her physically snap her head back. She pulled her arm up and pulled it to her chest, hand laying over her heart. The metal of the bracelet caught the light as her arm swung up. She thought about what the redhead had asked, but she was speechless, finding no words.

“You two are so clueless,” Natasha muttered, just about rolling her eyes, and Kayla was startled. She had never seen the look in the spy’s eyes, almost a look of affection. “He’s had that bracelet for three years, not taking it off once. _At all_. Then he ends up giving it to you? He wouldn’t even tell _me_ how he got it, and he used to get really defensive about it. Now, you wear it.” She rose her perfectly curved eyebrows, as if to say, _Do you understand now_?

Kayla touched the bracelet, her thoughts racing. She looked through the glass, into the room. She knew that he always wore it, every day, until he had given it to her. She didn’t even truly know why or where it came from; just that it meant something to him.

“That convinced _me_ , but you two,” Natasha paused, shaking her head as she let her hands fall to her sides. “Trust me, he wants you to stay.”

“What are you saying?” Kayla finally found her voice, questioning the other woman.

“There’s nothing going on between me and Barton,” she reassured, hitting the button to slide the door open. “But, there’s something between _you_ and Barton.”

With that, Natasha stepped into the room, leaving Kayla out in the hall, contemplating the other woman’s words. If that were true, why did she still feel like he didn’t think of her in that way? She had obviously been, well, _obvious_. She had tried to kiss him even, without even apologizing for it or explaining herself. She blushed like crazy whenever something happened with the two, or even when she stared at him for too long. Clint had to know that, for her, it was more than just a crush. Was that what the redhead had meant?

But Clint, he hadn’t shown any sign that he returned the feelings, except for maybe the way he had said her name after they had almost kissed. He had sounded drained, his voice scratchy like he hadn’t used it in years. Other than that, he was her trainer, and hadn’t shown anything more.

Kayla hesitantly followed Natasha into the room and closed the door behind her. She felt uncomfortable with the whole conversation that she had with Natasha. But, the words had sunk in, that the partners were just that; partners. Nothing more. And that maybe, Clint returned the feelings. Maybe.

Thinking about Clint had her worried again, and before she knew it, she was standing at the bathroom door where he had snuck away and her hand was knocking against the door. “Clint?

She waited for him to answer. When he didn’t, she began to panic, looking over at Natasha before raising her hand again and knocked. The door opened, and Clint stood there, staring down at Kayla. It seemed like he was covered in sweat, but she soon realized that it was water splashed onto his face. “I’ve been gone two minutes. You miss me that bad?”

Kayla scowled at him at his playful tone, even as a blush creeped across her cheeks. She turned and crossed her arms as he grinned and returned deeper into the small bathroom, the door closing behind him. Sometimes, his cockiness was just… Ugh.

The door to the room slid open then, and Rogers stood in the threshold, all suited up. They all turned to look at him. “Time to go,” he told them, looking to each of them.

“Go where?” Romanoff asked.

Kayla stepped forward to stand next to the spy. The blush and the tightness of her shoulders disappeared at the seriousness of the soldiers’ face.

“I’ll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?”

The bathroom door opened again, and Clint entered the room, towel in hand. “I can.”

Cap blinked at the man, seeing him for the first time. His eyes flickered over to Kayla questioningly. Then his blue irises flickered over to Natasha, who nodded. Kayla watched the silent signals being passed from one person to the other. After a moment, Rogers looked back at Clint with a nod. “You got a suit?”

He nodded, and the captain glanced again at Kayla. “Then suit up.”

oOo

They did just that. Kayla walked fast, almost at a jog as she headed towards the locker room. Rogers seemed alert, as if the situation was urgent. After a few more minutes of walking down the hall, she was stopped. “Kayla.”

She turned, watching as Natasha turned down a hall to the right. Clint stood there at the T in the hallway. He pointed to the right. “Down the hall, second door on the right. Weapons cargo. Meet us there?”

She nodded, giving him a small smile. Clint took another step, paused as he nodded quickly, almost to himself, and then he was gone. Kayla spun around and continued her own trek down the hallway to obtain her uniform. Once she was in the locker room, she shrugged off her shirt and threw it across the room, then pulled on her tank top armor and zipped it up. She ran her hands down the front of her, and then turned in the mirror. She re-tied her ponytail, tight and out of the way. Before she turned away from the mirror, she checked the small gash on her temple. It didn’t look too bad, barely noticeable when her hair had been down. Kayla grabbed her jacket, then made her way out of the locker room and down the hall. When she got to the door that Clint had mentioned, she saw that the door was open, and she stepped in.

Clint stood over a container that was laid on the floor, lid open. He was sliding a quiver onto his back over his uniform, and then he was bending down to pick up some more gear. Kayla glanced over at Natasha, who was latching some sort of equipment onto her wrists. They were glowing blue at certain points, and then she snapped them into place. The spy spun around, ready. Clint turned a few seconds later, grabbing a few more pieces of gear as Natasha led the way out. Before Kayla followed, she smiled at the archer. “Nice get up.”

Clint’s eyebrows rose, eyes dipping to look her up and down. A smirk tugged at his own lips. “Not too bad yourself, Hudson.”

Kayla laughed, hitting him on the chest playfully before following the other woman. The three caught up to Captain America, who led them down to the jets as he told them of the situation. They were taking matters into their own hands, and they were going to stop Loki. Kayla couldn’t argue. She was sure they all had different reasons why they were willing to do this. Steve and Natasha because it was their job. Clint because of what he went through. Kayla and Tony because of what happened to Coulson.

Clint brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see Cap and Natasha walking ahead. “Hudson, you got a comm?”

“No. Mine broke when the engines went down.” She turned to him, seeing him frown. He held his hand out, a small communicator in his hand. She took it from him. “I don’t even know how to use it.”

“You just hold the button there when you want to talk,” Clint pointed, his shoulder brushing hers as he stepped closer. “Double tap to keep the communication open at all times.”

Kayla nodded. “Easy enough.”

“Got you one of the simpler ones. Cap too, seeing as you guys aren’t that good with tech.”

“Hey,” Kayla reached a hand out and pushed him, just enough for him to stumble sideways a little. “I’m getting better.” She watched the archer grin as she slid the comm into her ear and shook her head. She realized then as she looked ahead that they were almost at one of the jets, and she spoke up, the tech reference reminded her of the engineer himself. “Where’s Stark?”

Cap turned in his step so she could hear him over all of the noise in the bay. “He’s meeting us out there.”

The group passed by agents who gave them glances, but thankfully, none approached. Cap lead them up a ramp of one of the jets, and the four took up the space purposefully. An agent stood up from where he crouched next to some equipment. “Hey, you guys aren’t authorized to be in here.”

“Son,” Cap paused for emphasis, and Kayla smiled. Finally, using his fame to get somewhere. And he really deserved to play that card. “Just don’t.”

It didn’t take much encouraging from then. Pretty soon, the agent had left, and Clint and Natasha had taken their seats up in the front. They warmed up the engine as the ramp closed. Kayla stood next to Cap by the front.

“Are you guys ready?” Clint asked form the front, turning slightly. Kayla could see that he sure was, probably ever since Natasha had knocked him out of being brainwashed. They all nodded, and pretty soon, they were in the air, Stark’s form flying in front of the jet. Cap told them of Stark’s theory, about making it personal. That Tony had figured out that Loki was going to put the portal right on top of Stark Tower. Kayla watched as Tony picked up speed, flying ahead into the city before them.

Kayla leaned against the edge of the opening across form the captain, not noticing that she had started fidgeting with the bracelet around her wrist; Clint’s bracelet. She was worrying about the mission ahead, about what was going to happen. She knew she would have to fight if Loki succeeded. She watched as they got closer and closer to the city.

Rogers startled her with a hand on her arm. Kayla smiled up at him before turning back to look out to the sky. But, his voice caused her to turn back. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Kayla stared up into the blue eyes of the super soldier. He was a soldier after all, and he had probably killed in war. The author smiled, although it lacked any emotion. S.H.I.E.L.D. had trained her to protect herself over the last few months, but they didn’t teach her how to fight in a _war_. “I’ve killed before. It’s not pretty, but I’ve done it.”

Rogers’ eyes flickered across her face before glancing down at the floor. She couldn’t tell the emotion that crossed his features. The others had all been in situations like this. Rogers was a soldier after all. The others, Clint and Natasha, probably killed people everyday. And Tony? She didn’t even want to know what he had gone through.

The soldier nodded before turning his gaze back to the sky. Kayla’s eyes followed, meeting Clint’s briefly. The eyes of the archer were calm as he, too, turned back to the city. She thought back to when she spoke to Natasha, about how there was something going on between her and Clint. But she wasn’t sure.

 _This is war,_ Kayla thought as she looked at Iron Man’s small light in front of them. The buildings were getting bigger, and they grew closer. _There’s a chance that I won’t survive this. That all of us won’t survive this._ She wanted to voice her thoughts, to tell Clint and the others that she cared for them, even if she barely knew them. She never told Coulson that he was like a big brother to her; her _family._ She never got a chance. But she had a chance here.

The brunette opened  her mouth and was about to speak up when a beam of blue light flashed into the sky. “That’s the Tesseract,” Steve said, leaning closer to the window to get a better look. Kayla gasped as she watched shapes immediately pour out of the hole in the sky.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Clint asked no one in particular, but his grip tightened on the lever in front of him. Kayla knew that he was one of the best pilots.

“Everyone ready?” Rogers’ voice startled her as she stared at the aliens now invading New York.

“Hell yeah,” Clint pushed the jet forward, turning direction slightly. He had probably been ready before any of this even happened, and even more so when Loki manipulated him.

“Comms on,” Natasha said, flicking a few buttons on the board. Kayla lifted a shaky hand to her ear as she double tapped the button. She didn’t want to forget about it, so leaving it on was the best choice. “Stark, we’re on your three headed northeast.”

“ _What, did you stop for drive-thru_?” Kayla heard his voice through the comm. His humor dripped out with his next words. “ _Swing up Park, I’m gonna lay them out for you_.”

Clint turned the jet, maneuvering the bird down into the city at Stark’s request. Natasha hit a few more buttons on the board, and Kayla felt the floor beneath her shake a little. “Guns up.” The spy stated and grabbed ahold of the stick in front of her. The jet was heading straight towards a building at the end of the street, when a flash of light zoomed by. Kayla briefly had the time to register that Iron Man had flown by before the redhead was shooting at the other ships chasing after Stark. They took out a few of the aliens, and Clint let out a cheer as they neared the end of the street. The archer pulled up, and the jet flew up the side of Stark Tower. “Hang on!”

Her and the captain held onto the bar above them as the jet shifted. In only a few seconds they were both almost completely parallel with the bottom of the plane. A flash of memory when she was hanging off the Helicarrier caused her to let out a small scream form her throat. The feeling of being weightless was a little unsettling, and she didn’t know if she could handle it again. Once the jet rose over the tower, Clint straightened the bird out. She was thankful to have her two feet on the ground once again. She peeked out the windshield and Kayla caught a glimpse of two figures. Out on the deck, she saw Loki and Thor. The girl let out a sigh of relief as her gaze landed on Thor. She was glad that he was okay and that he hadn’t been beaten to a pulp by the Hulk.

“Nat?” Clint asked, staring out the front. “I see him,” Natasha replied, as Clint turned the jet to face the deck of the tower. Kayla watched as they turned their attention to the god clad in green, black and gold. A few moments before Natasha fired, Kayla watched Thor move, quickly jumping out of their line of sight. She hoped that the agent had good aim. The girl hadn’t been paying attention to the threat pointing a scepter in their direction.

The quinjet shook, and Kayla flew back at the impact, knocking her body against the metal floor. The bird was spinning out of control, and Kayla had rolled to the side of the jet, grabbing onto the ropes attached to the wall. She let out a groan as the jet began to spin and shake. Rogers’ still had a grip on the bar near the front, but his body had been elevated. The jet lurched again and Kayla let out a scream as she began to slide down the bottom of the jet after losing her grip. Her arm shot out, trying to catch anything to keep her from falling. Cold metal hit the palm of her hand and her fingers instinctively wrapped around it.

The jet hit the earth, causing Kayla to be lifted into the air for a millisecond, and slid across the ground until it came to a complete stop a few yards away from the initial impact. Her body was a little soar as she let go of the bar she had been holding and laid a hand onto her temple. “Dammit, Clint.” She stood, glaring at no one in particular. She knew it hadn’t been his fault, but he was the one driving. “Lucky I didn’t hit my head again.”

Cap laid a hand on her arm, but she nodded at him. “I’m good. Just tossed around a bit.” He held his shield in his right arm, and he pulled the cowl over his face as he nodded and headed down the ramp. Only when she saw his form hit the streets of New York did she realize what she was really walking into; they were heading into a war zone.

Kayla was about to follow him onto the streets before she hesitated. She pulled the jacket off of her shoulders and stuffed the piece of clothing into a cubby of the jet. She stared at the sleeve for a few moments before turning and walking down the ramp. Clint was watching her at the end of the ramp, one foot on the ground, one in the jet. “You might want that.”

“No, I don’t.” Kayla walked forward, landing on the ground. “Coulson gave me that jacket. It’s the only thing I have that will remind me of him.”

The archer nodded beside her but didn’t reply. She didn’t miss the sadness and guilt that crossed his features. Before Kayla could say another word, screams and destruction filled the city with noise. Clint and Kayla jogged after Cap and Natasha and stopped around them. All four of them glanced up at the portal in the sky as Cap said, “We gotta get back up there.”

Kayla looked down at her arms as they started to go their usual yellowish-pink and shards slid into her palms. All other thoughts of Coulson or the jacket left her. Now, she was filled with thoughts about fighting, about the battle around them. An alien ship flew above them, causing them all to turn. Kayla gripped her shards tighter and turned to her teammates. “Well, I guess it’s time to fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only about five or so more chapters from the movie, that is until book two. That's where the original plot line will come in. Stay tuned!


	10. Damsel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to how she meets S.H.I.E.L.D. A battle. A moment with Clint.

_Kayla glared at the man beside her. He had been the one to help her out of the car, and he had grabbed her hand pretty hard. She wondered if she would get a bruise from his grip. He wore a professional black suit and had been very secretive - he was definitely some kind of agent: CIA, FBI, Secret Service. When the man glanced at her, she finally spoke. “What the hell am I doing here?”_

_“You’re here because you got in the car.” A man who walked into the room from the hall said, his voice startling her. Kayla turned around and watched as a man clad in leather walked towards her. An eye patch covered his left eye, and the black leather went well with his dark skin. The man was followed by another, who wore a suit and a pair of sunglasses. Eye Patch nodded to the man who stood next to Kayla, and he quickly exited the room, with a glare at her as he left. She rose an eyebrow as the man with the shades stopped a few feet away and the man with the eye patch walked past her to the tech behind her._

_“I got in the car because a government agency flashed their badge and told me to get in,” Kayla replied as she turned to watch the man in the leather. She hoped they only heard the anger in her voice and not the slightest bit of fear she was feeling. “Forced is a better term, actually. How did you even find me?”_

_“We found nothing after a quick background check-“_

_“A_ what?”

 _“-and decided that with the right training,” The man with the eye patch turned towards her. “We want you on_ our _side.”_

_Kayla crossed her arms over her chest. “What could you possibly want with me? I’m just an author.” Well, that wasn’t quite true anymore, but they didn’t need to know that. Who were they to ask these things of her? Definitely some kind of organization._

_The man in front of her rose an eyebrow. “With abilities like yours, how could we not?” He looked around the room accusingly. “Did nobody explain to you who we are?” Then he returned briefly to the equipment._

_She shrugged. “Something about a shield.”_

_“S.H.I.E.L.D. Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division,” the man in the suit with the sunglasses spoke up as he took a few steps forward and faced her. “We specialize in… weird.”_

_She rose an eyebrow at the man to hide the fear that she was feeling. “And I’m weird?”_

_The man nodded. He lifted his hand out in front of him and took a few more steps forward. “I’m Agent Coulson.”_

_Kayla debated on simply standing there, ignoring his formalities, but thought better on it and hesitantly shook his hand. “Kayla Hudson,” she half asked as she looked at him. “But you already knew that.”_

_She briefly saw the corner of his mouth twitch before he was turning away and gesturing to the other man. His voice was much quieter as he stepped aside, closer than Eye Patch across the room. “Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. He runs things around here.”_

_“So,” Kayla trailed off as the man clad in leather hit a few buttons on the screen. “Why is it that I’m wanted by the government for my weirdness?”_

_“You’re abilities are unique, something we decided that we’d like to add as a strength to S.H.I.E.L.D.” The man named Fury said._

_“My abilities?” Kayla froze, her eyes going wide. How could they know? Why would they want to? What were they going to do to her? She tried to play her fear off as confusion. She couldn’t let them know, or want them to. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”_

_“I’m pretty sure you know_ exactly _what it is we’re talking about.” The man paused, lifting his shoulders. “But, if you want to play_ that _game,” he trailed off as he turned back to the screens behind him. A video popped up and began to play. There was no audio, and it wasn’t much of a sight to see. But, Kayla would know it anywhere. It was the cemetery that her father was buried in, and the video looked like security feed. Kayla stepped forward as she watched. She saw herself crouched down at her father’s grave, almost on the edge of the feed._

_She gasped as she remembered the day. It had been about a month before, when she had visited her father’s grave. Kayla glanced over at the two men. Her voice shook as she said, “Why do you have this? How?”_

_Neither answered, so she turned back to the feed. She saw herself kneeling on the grass, waving her arms, hands clenched in fists. She remembered being angry that day, mad that her life had turned out the way it did and she blamed her father for it. Kayla watched as her body grew tense and she tipped her head back and screamed to the sky. A moment later, a pink dome exploded around her._

_She watched until the screen flickered into blackness. Kayla held a hand to her chest and turned her gaze to the floor._ They knew. _What would happen to her, now that people knew that she was a freak of nature? Would she get locked up in a mental institution? Experimented on by crazed scientists?_

_“We know that…” He trailed off as he looked back towards the screen. “Norway… is a touchy subject. We know that’s where you first got your powers, two months ago.”_

_Kayla stared at the man with one eye. She liked how he explained the whole experience in one word. She liked that he had just said_ Norway, _instead of explaining what had happened to her._

_“We want you to join a team.” The statement startled her. That hadn’t been what she was expecting. She expected the worst._

_Kayla looked up at the two men, suspicious and afraid. “A team? For what?” Who would want_ her _on a team, doing_ that _around others? Wasn’t she dangerous, and a freak? And she’s pretty sure that guy- Coulson- had called her a weirdo._

_The man stared down at her intently, and spoke with a monotone, yet bold voice, completely serious. “To protect the world.”_

oOo

Kayla’s eyes scanned over the small fires, tipped over cars, and destroyed buildings. It was devastating what had happened in a handful of minutes, but she tried not to think about it. Instead, she thought about the portal above them. The blue fog of the Tesseract surrounded the device on top of the tower as a blue beam of light broke a hole in the sky. The wormhole opened a pathway straight into space from a different world. More and more of the Chitauri poured out, and with them, a beast.

It flew through the air, casting a shadow across the large street. It soared down the length of Stark Tower, and she got a closer look at it as it flew over them. It looked like an ugly version of some type of whale, spikes protruding out of its back and sides. A plate over its head and the length of its body, its teeth sharp as it let out a roar and Kayla shivered in fear. How were they supposed to take on a thing like that?

The sides of the beast popped, and Kayla watched as Chitauri jumped out of it, landing on the buildings the beast passed. On both sides of the street, the aliens slid down the sides of the buildings, coming closer to civilization.

“Stark, you seeing this?” Cap called out through the comm. Obviously, Iron Man was probably their best chance at fighting that thing, or Thor, but he was tied up at the moment.

“ _Seeing, still working on believing_.” Stark replied. “ _Where’s Banner? Has he shown up yet_?”

“Banner?”

There was a small pause. “ _Just keep me posted_.”

Kayla watched as the huge beast flew over the streets and buildings. Her eyes flickered back over to the Chitauri who clung to the buildings around the four-man/woman-team.In her peripheral vision, she saw movement. She turned to follow Romanoff, who was moving to crouch next to Clint against a car. She briefly leaned against the metal before leaning forward.  Rogers crouched on her right at the front of the car, and Romanoff and Clint were on her left. The girl saw the aliens moving towards them, and she crouched, fists holding some of her weight as she leaned forward, shards still in hand. She took in a deep breath, trying to push down the fear so she could deal with the task at hand. _This_ was real life. She was ready.

 “We’ve got civilians trapped,” Clint said, looking down the street.

“You’re call, Cap,” Kayla stated as she looked over at the soldier. She voiced what she thought was the best strategy; Cap calling the shots. His blue eyes peered down at her briefly before turning his gaze down the street. A loud hum of Chitauri ships roared above them, and a blast of blue light shot through the streets. Rogers stood up. “Loki.”

The brunette watched as the ships flew down the street, blasting away at the road and cars. The power of the scepter flipped cars and blew holes into the road.

“They’re fish in a barrel down there,” Cap said. He ducked down behind the car next to Kayla again. Clint rose above the car, aiming at a Chitauri and letting an arrow fly. Romanoff stood, firing her pistols. The archer ran forward, moving to the car in front of them to get a better advantage.

“We got this,” Natasha met her eyes before looking back at Cap. “It’s good. Go.”

Cap paused, looking at each of them in turn. “You think you can hold them off?”

Clint turned. “Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure,” he said, and then he pulled an arrow out of his quiver, knocking it back against the string. The archer stood, letting an arrow fly into a skull of a Chitauri. The arrow broke off, hitting several more of the aliens around the first, causing them to drop.

Kayla nodded to Rogers with a small smile. “We’re a team, right? We’ve got your back.” He nodded to her before turning and jumping over the ledge of the bridge. Kayla turned back to the fight to see Romanoff firing her pistols. The former moved forward - ducking to give the more experienced woman room to fire – closer to the Chirtauri. Kayla moved next to Clint, tapping him on the thigh. She aimed for a neck of one of the Chitauri and threw her shard after standing for a split second. She replaced the shard as the alien fell, and she moved to the other side of Clint.

More Chitauri were heading their way, and they were shooting their own weapons at the three behind the cars. They couldn’t really get a good shot in without getting hit. Kayla thought of an idea. “Clint,” she said before standing and throwing two shards at the hostiles, one sinking into a thigh and the other into a shoulder. She had to duck again as blue flashed by her head. “I have an idea.”

“Yeah?” He asked as he knocked another arrow back. “Enlighten me.”

“I’ll distract them, you fire. Easy.” She pointed towards the aliens with a shrug.

“Yeah, and if you get hit?” Clint raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. She raised one of her own and wrapped her pink shield around her, as if to say, _you were saying_? Before he got out a response, she raced forward, straight towards the enemy. She briefly saw the aliens raise their guns towards her, and she raised her arm on instinct to protect her face. The impact on her shield always hummed through her body, letting her know that it was being penetrated. But, the hum didn’t come. The girl lowered her arm to see that the two Chitauri were strewn across the ground, disarmed with arrows in their skulls. The girl sent a smirk over to the archer, as if to say, _told you._

Kayla ran forward, heading towards another alien and throwing the shards at them. The glass-like material sunk into flesh. When the being fell, she glanced around to see if any more threats were present. There were a few Chitauri down-aways, but not close enough to throw at yet. But, she did see that Clint had moved over to a bus and was helping a child come out through the window. Kayla raced over, ducking around Natasha who was firing at another Chitauri. The brunette’s shield shot out, the pink dome stretching high and wide, enough to protect the people who were trying to get to safety, just as Chitauri bullets shot their way. She pushed her shield farther, moving it over the bus, so the dome almost touched the building behind it. Kayla saw the glances she got, but only smiled reassuringly at the people.

After a few moments, Clint finally got the door open and he ushered the people out. When the last one was gone and a safe distance away, she dropped her shield. Clint rushed over to her side, raising his bow. The three continued to work together, taking down the enemy army.

“Just like Budapest all over again,” Natasha called out after they continued to fight.

“You and I remember Budapest very differently,” Clint replied, his eyes widened in surprise.

“The adventures you people go on,” Kayla said, shaking her head in disbelief as she ran forward, her shield wrapped close around her. As she went around a car, she came into close proximity of one of the Chitauri, causing her to hesitate.

Seeing the thing up close was so much more different than at a distance. She could see its face under the helmet it wore, and its gray skin startled her. She found herself staring at the alien as it raised its weapon at her. With the movement, she was brought back to the situation she was in, and her instincts kicked in, because if she didn’t move, she would be toast. This instinct made her raise her leg up and kick the weapon out of its hand with a wide swing of her leg, shifting her entire body in a complete circle with the move. She had a brief moment to think about her training at S.H.I.E.L.D. and how it completely paid off.

She manifested another shard, stepping towards the alien and driving the shard into its stomach. There was no armor protecting it there, along with the neck. She drove a second shard into the flesh where the neck met the shoulder. She pulled the shards out of its body as it fell to the ground, the life disappearing from it. Her shards were covered in blood, although it wasn’t exactly red. More like a grayish-green color. Kayla tore her gaze away from the glass-like material and charged another alien, feeling the weapons attack her shield and she repeated the process. The brunette created a longer shard, imitating a sword, and swung at a Chitauri. The alien dodged, taking a step away and letting out a roar. Kayla threw a small shard, hitting a shoulder. She dropped her shield to give herself space as she kicked out her foot and hitting the alien in the leg, trying to bring it down.

It didn’t fall. Instead, the alien copied her move and kicked her legs out from under her. Kayla fell onto her back, which spread searing hot pain throughout her, as the alien stepped forward and pointed its gun down at her. Before it got the chance to shoot, however, Clint was there, tripping the Chitauri. Its gun tumbled a few feet away, and before it got the chance to move, the archer was pulling an arrow out of his quiver and drove it hard through the Chitauri’s chest.

Kayla quickly stood, grabbing her sword-shard off the ground. In the heat of the moment, she hadn’t had time to be scared. She had a world to save, and fear of death wouldn’t stop her. After making sure that the alien was dead, Clint stood and turned towards her. She quickly sent him a smile of thanks as he smirked. “The hero always saves the damsel.”

She rolled her eyes at him before turning away. She shouldn’t have expected anything less from him. She briefly wondered if he even knew the meaning behind the Damsel in Distress, how the beautiful young woman usually is in dire need of a hero to save her from a villain or monster. How the hero usually convinced the woman to become their wife after their rescue. How saving the woman is an essential part of the hero’s purpose. He didn’t know what he and just suggested.

Kayla decided to leave the comment alone and rushed forward to attack another Chitauri, who was heading towards Natasha, lifting its weapon. The agent was being crowded, so Kayla jumped forward, sinking her shard into the back of the Chitauri closest to her. She pulled the shard out and drove it through flesh again to insure that it was dead. As the body hit the floor, a shriek rang out behind her. Kayla turned to see Clint lying on his back, a Chitauri standing over him, weaponless, but with deadly claws outstretched toward Clint’s neck. The brunette jumped forward in a rush of adrenaline, more than she had before, slamming her shard into its back. After a few moments of the alien crying out in pain, Clint drove an arrow through its chest as he got up on one knee, silencing it. The Chitauri fell to the side, hopefully dead.

Kayla grinned down at the archer as he stood. “What was _that_?”

He only raised an eyebrow trying to play it off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You totally screamed like a little girl!” Kayla jumped up once in strange excitement.

Clint raised his chin, closing his eyes briefly. His next words came out childish and higher pitched. “And so what if I did?”

Kayla let out a laugh as she hit him in the chest, announcing, “Clint Barton everyone, also known as Hawkeye. Assassin archer who screams like little girls.”

He laid a hand on his chest in mock hurt as she continues. “Now who’s the damsel?” Firstly, she had to save him, and secondly, because the high pitched scream he had let out. She looked up at him as he rose his eyebrows, a grin playing on both of their lips.

Movement behind the archer caused Kayla to swear as she instinctively threw up her shield, ruining the moment. Battlefield. Right. The pink of the dome pushed over Clint - protecting him as well as the Chitauri shot a blast of blue at him. The blast dissolved against the dome on impact, only causing Kayla to flinch at the slight ripple that was sent through her body. Clint rose his bow and knocked an arrow back, sending a nod her way before she contracted her shield and he released the arrow. The brunette raised her shard like a spear, and threw it as hard as she could at another Chitauri. The shard flew through the barrier of the dome and plunged into the alien’s skull, snapping its head back and causing the body to clatter to the ground.

Two more Chitauri pounded at her dome that was slowly contracting. She turned and called on another shard, but before she could do anything, Cap was there, hitting away one with his shield and then the next. Kayla rose her arm to throw a shard when the Chitauri in front of her lit up like a Christmas tree. Lightning coursed through its body, and Kayla let her shield drop as the last alien fell down in a heap.

Thor flew down a moment later, landing a few feet away from the bodies of the Chitauri. “Thor!” Kayla called out as he stepped forward, looking pissed and injured. He nodded to her as she beamed up at him. She was glad to see that he wasn’t too injured and that he was now fighting by their side, even if they were clear for now. Kayla took the moment to wipe a hand across her forehead as she breathed in a deep breath. She dropped the shard she had been holding in her hand as Cap stepped forward.

“What’s the story upstairs?” Cap asked the god.

“The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable,” was the response from Thor, his voice low and grave.

“ _Thor’s right_ ,” Stark’s voice came over the comm as he flew by above the group. “ _We gotta deal with these guys_.”

Kayla watched as Clint pulled an arrow out of a body and Natasha looked around at the group, asking, “How do we do this?”

“As a team,” Cap and Kayla both stated at the same time. She had learned a long time ago that working together was so much easier than working alone.

“I have unfinished business with Loki,” Thor said.

“Yeah?” Clint fidgeted with the tip of the arrow in his hand. “Get in line.”

“Save it,” Rogers said. He was stepping up, being Captain America. He was a leader now. “Loki’s going to keep this fight focused on us and that’s what we need. Without him, these things could run wild.”

Kayla and the others gathered around Cap as he talked. He raised his hands, gesturing. “We’ve got Stark up top. He’s gonna need us to-“

He was interrupted as an engine rolled up behind him, and Kayla perked up. A crappy motorcycle rolled up, the driver causing her to grin. “Bruce! You’re here.”

They all walked forward, Kayla smiling. He was alive and ready. He slid off the bike as Kayla bounced on her heels.

“So,” Bruce walked forward, gesturing around at the city around them. He looked shocked by the destruction, and even saddened. “This all seems… horrible.”

Natasha rose her chin a little. “I’ve seen worse.” There was a gleam in her eyes.

Bruce stopped a few feet away. He was dirty; his hair was a mess, with a layer of dust covering his head, and his clothes were all rumpled and disheveled. His brown eyes looked back at the spy. “Sorry.”

“No, we could use a little worse.”

“Stark,” Cap said into the comm. “We got him.”

“ _Banner_?” The comm crackled into her ear.

“Just like you said.”

Stark’s voice was grave as he spoke the next words. “ _Then tell him to suit up. I’m bringing the party to you_.”

Kayla looked up into the sky. “The party?” She asked as she brought her hand up to her ear, looking for Tony up in the sky. “Haven’t you done enough of that lately?”

Tony laughed once in her ear, but didn’t respond.

A few seconds later, Tony came around a building, flying through the air towards them. Another moment passed before one of the huge beasts flew after him, its fins hitting the buildings, causing debris to fall, as it flew down the street towards the group. Kayla let out a breath as she mumbled, “Great.”

“I-I don’t see how that’s a party.” Natasha shook her head.

Kayla watched Thor out of the corner of her eye lift his hammer, ready to fight the huge beast. Bruce looked at the team quickly before walking down the street away from them.

“Dr. Banner,” Cap stepped forward himself. “Now might be a really good time to get angry.”

“That’s my secret, Captain,” Bruce called over his shoulder as he walked forward. He paused, looking back briefly. “I’m always angry.” And then a breath later, the doctor started to change, his skin turning green as he grew. His shirt began to rip as his arms and chest grew bigger. And then he was the Hulk, his green fist flying through the air and hitting the beast straight on. The Hulk and the beast slid across the road from the speed and weight of the alien, and soon the alien started to flip over the Hulk. Her mouth fell open as she a shadow start to cast over them.

“ _Hold_ _on_ ,” Tony said through the comm. She looked up to see Iron Man’s arm stretched out. He fired at the beast, but it continued to fall. Kayla blinked once before pushing her shield out around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cap lunge to the side and hold his own shield over himself and Natasha. Clint took a step towards Kayla, and she let the dome push around him, protecting him.

She wasn’t sure if her shield would hold form the weight of the beast, and obviously Clint didn’t think so either. She didn’t know who moved first, but Clint had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stood in front of her at the same time that she wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her chin in the space where his neck met his shoulder. He was protecting her with his body, and she just clung onto him, fearful that her shield wouldn’t hold and that they wouldn’t make it. Or that her shield _would_ hold and she would feel it pushing in on her.

As the beast fell, the armor exploded, and a blast of air shot towards them. Clint’s arm tightened around her shoulder as debris fell around them and the alien’s huge body fell the opposite way. Armor fell onto Kayla’s shield, and the blast pushed at her dome, but she continued to protect herself and Clint. Her shield held, the effort pushing on her as they stood right where all of the armor from the alien fell. She used all of her focus to make sure her shield held as pressure ran through her body. As the explosion died down, and the strain on her shield vanished, she let it drop and began to fall from exhaustion.

“Kay,” Clint called her name as he moved an arm around her waist to hold her up. She felt dizzy for a moment as she gripped onto the archer. Her head fell onto his shoulder as she took a deep breath. She let him hold her weight as she caught her breath. “Are you okay?”

His voice was soft in her ear. She shivered as his lips moved against her skin. Kayla nodded, finally standing on her own and taking a step away from him. His hand rested on her as he looked down at her questionably. She realized that she hadn’t answered him and sent him a smile. “Yeah, Clint. Just catching my breath.”

He nodded, and took a step away himself as he glanced around. Screams and roars echoed around them, and Kayla looked up to see the Chitauri on the buildings roaring at them as they looked at the beast’s limp body on the ground. They were shaking with anger because Hulk had taken down the huge alien. The Hulk roared back, his vocal inflection much deeper and louder than that of the Chitauri. The Hulk backed up enough to stand next to Kayla, and he gently touched her with one of his big green fingers and a grunt in acknowledgement. The girl grinned up at their own beast before turning and facing the building where she spotted some Chitauri. Tony landed next to Kayla, and Clint moved to stand on the other side of the Hulk, knocking an arrow back on the string and raising it to aim. Thor held his hammer at the ready, and Natasha held her pistols at her sides. Cap stared up at the sides of the buildings and Tony shifted his shoulders. The team stood with their backs to each other, all looking up at the roaring aliens. Kayla manifested two shards, and she stood up straighter. She was ready to get back in the game and fight.

“Guys,” Natasha called out, and the whole team turned. She was looking up at the portal again, and Kayla’s eyes followed hers. Two more of the giant beasts were floating down from the portal, and more of the Chitauri ships were pouring out of the wormhole.

“ _Call it, Captain_ ,” Tony said, his voice morphed by the suit.

“Alright, now listen up,” Cap stepped forward, and the team turned to him. “Until we can close that portal up, priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof.” He pointed from the agent to said building. “Eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you get the perimeter. Anything that gets more than three blocks out you turn it back, or you turn it to ash.”

“Wanna give me a lift?” Clint asked the man in the suit. Tony nodded, walking towards him.

“ _Better clench up, Legolas_ ,” Stark added.

“Wait!” Kayla called out, taking a step forward as Stark paused. Clint was leaving to perch up on top of a rooftop somewhere. She was worried that she wouldn’t be able to get his back or push her shield around him to protect him. She remembered all of the thoughts that had gone through her head on the way to the city, and before she could stop herself, she was moving. Kayla reached forward, hands on either side of his neck as she leaned forward on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Her lips pushed softly against his before she pulled away and took a step back. Even if it had been a short two seconds, her heart was soaring from the contact. Kayla couldn’t quite believe that she had just done that, but she grinned anyways, stepping back again as Tony stepped towards Clint. Her grin grew even more as she saw the expression on the archer’s face. Surprise and awe. Kayla lifted two fingers into a lazy salute before Stark grabbed onto Clint’s shoulders and he was lifted into the air.

She briefly touched her fingers to her lips before she dropped her head and took a step back. “Sorry, Cap.” Her grin died down to a smile as she looked at Rogers and lifted her hand. “Take the stage.”

She didn’t miss the look in his blue eyes as he nodded and turned to the god, continuing. “Thor. You gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up.”

Thor spun his hammer in his hand, picking up speed before shooting into the air.

“Us three,” Cap looked to Kayla and Natasha. “We stay on the ground. We keep the fighting here. And Hulk?”

The green monster turned from where he had been facing the Chitauri, a grunt escaping his lips. His teeth were clenched as he looked at the captain. Rogers raised a glove clad hand and pointed a finger at the Hulk. “Smash.”

A grin stretched across Hulk’s face before he obliged, jumping into the air. She watched as he smashed the Chitauri into the sides of the building like they were rag dolls. A few moments later, the Hulk and ventured away, smashing his way through the aliens and onto the next group. The sky darkened, and Kayla looked up. Thor’s lightning shot through the sky where he was stationed at a tower. The lightning lit up the wormhole and the small ships that poured out. He directed the lightning at the two huge beasts, and the power of it pushed them back and exploded into them.

Kayla briefly found a smile on her face. She was surrounded by the team of Avengers around her, fighting side by side. This was the first that she felt like she belonged somewhere, where she _mattered_. It warmed her heart, even if they were in the middle of a battle field.

Kayla, Cap and Natasha all started fighting on the ground again. As she threw shards and stabbed her way through the aliens, she heard the conversation going on over the comm. Clint was calling out the patterns to Stark, informing him that the aliens couldn’t bank for shit. Kayla had looked up at the building, distracted by Clint’s voice when she got hit from behind, pain slicing through her arm. She let out a gasp as she fell forward, not preparing to catch herself as her body hit the pavement. Kayla’s eyes blurred from the impact and blackness consumed her.


	11. The Face of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking death in the eye multiple times changes people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger, but beware, there is another at the end of this chapter. This chapter explains what happened in Norway, but I'm not sure if this was what you were all thinking it was or whatever, I just hope I came up with a good idea for it. Chapter Twelve finishes up the movie, and then we'll get going with the new stuff.

Kayla blinked, her vision blurry as she awoke from a brief blackout. She immediately felt pressure on her side, and then she was being rolled over onto her back. She blinked again, her eyes focusing, and saw that one of the Chitauri stood over her, pointing its gun down at her. Her eyes widened, and she moved, rolling to the side. The gun went off, emitting a blue blast of light that hit the ground where she had been only seconds before. That was the first time Kayla had looked death right in the face two feet from her.

She barely had time to think about it before the Chitauri was swinging its weapon, and she moved – or so she planned. She wasn’t fast enough. Searing hot pain erupted in her arm and shot up her body as the weapon pierced her skin, and her vision blurred for a moment. Kayla ignored the pain as best as she could as the Chitauri swung again. She could see it, the path of the blade aimed for her neck, as if it were in slow motion. She ducked, then brought her leg up and hit the Chitauri as hard as she could square in the chest, sending it back a few feet as it landed on its back. The movement caused another flare of pain to shoot up her arm.

After she stood, she took the chance to focus on her injury while the alien was out of reach. Kayla held her fingers up to her arm, and they came away bloody. Her arm warmed as she looked down to see the blood running down her arm. The cut was half-way between her shoulder and her elbow, and it was deep enough to have a steady stream of blood to flow down her skin.

Kayla didn’t have any time to wrap it though, before the alien was stirring. She took a step forward, kicking the weapon out of reach from its hand. The Chitauri stood, its mouth opening in a growl, ready to attack. Without warning, it lurched forward, tackling Kayla to the ground before she could jump away from its reach. The alien pinned her legs down to the ground with its weight, and its hand clenched over her wound, its grip tight. Pain shot through her arm and she let out a scream. She was sure she blacked out for a few more seconds. Kayla’s teeth clenched together as she pushed with all her might with her free arm to free herself. The Chitauri only moved a few inches before it grabbed her head with both of its hands, letting out another growl. Kayla felt her own warm blood on her temple as it lifted her head off of the ground-

-then slammed her head against the road, causing another scream to slip form her lips. Her eyes rolled up as her vision blurred once again, and the outline of the Chitauri grew as it leaned down towards her. Kayla heard voices in her ear, human, English, not the sounds of a Chitauri, but she couldn’t make out what was being said from all the pain and fear she was feeling. She reached forward, her hand connecting with armor as she tried to push at the alien again. Her vision clouded with tears. This only caused it to pick up her head again, getting ready to slam her head into the ground with a killing blow. She briefly saw her arm glow yellow before a shard slipped into her palm, and her eyes focused on the beast above her, her perspective changing. She was going to survive this. Distracted by the light, the Chitauri looked down and Kayla took the opportunity. “Bastard,” she choked out before slamming her shard into its body.

It let out a roar as its grip on her loosened. Kayla pulled the shard out, only to drive it right back into its body. Feared for her life, but now able to fight, she pushed the Chitauri off of her and climbed on top of it. With a scream, she raised the shard over her head and drove it through the Chitauri’s skull. Blinded by rage and fear, she drove the shard over and over into the body of the Chitauri.

All of her rage, all of her pain, went into those stabs. She stabbed it over and over, because if it wasn’t dead, then she could still get hurt. The feeling of rage and panic, it was all Norway’s fault. She was never going to feel that pain again. No one could take her life, and muddle with it, because she deserved to be happy. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Fear returned to her, just like in Norway, brought on by almost dying. She brought down her shard again, tearing through flesh. She couldn’t die, not after she fought to get her life back under control. Not after she had learned to control her powers, and learned to live with them. Not with a battle undergo, and the fight she had put up. Not when she could still help.

She didn’t stop, not until a voice brought her back to reality, guiding her past the rag. Kayla finally let out a gasp of breath, dropping the shard, as she slipped from the Chitauri’s body beneath her. She lifted her hand to wipe the tears and blood from her cheek – or at least tried to. This only resulted in spreading the blood – her blood – across her face.

 _“Kayla!”_ Her comm cracked in her ear, but the voice was so quiet. The brunette covered her mouth when she heard Clint’s voice, and dropped the shard onto the floor _. “No, dammit! No, no, no.”_

“I’m here, Clint.” Kayla looked around, seeing Natasha down away. The spy nodded to her, blood on her own forehead. The Chitauri was dead for the moment, so Kayla walked toward her, seeing Rogers there, too. “Don’t worry about me.”

She heard Clint spout out a few more words that Kayla shook her head at and she heard a few curse words slip out. Kayla decided then that she would turn her comm off instead of having everyone able to hear her. That way, she could listen and they wouldn’t have to hear a screaming distraction.

Kayla pushed some hair out of her way before she shook off the dreadful feeling. She tried catching her breath and checked her cuts. The blood still ran down her arm, but not so much as before. She took the moment to think, _Good thing I took off that jacket_. _Otherwise, it would be ruined._ As she stepped forward, her head throbbed, but she pushed on, finally processing what had just happened. It had all been so quick where she didn’t have time to think. The Chitauri had lunged at her, and she had almost died. Kayla let out a shaky breath as she told herself, _I’m alive._

Kayla slowly made her way back down the road the few feet, feeling that she could still fight despite her wounds and the pain. She had time to mutter to herself, “Stupid powers, stupid training, stupid Chitauri, stupid Loki and his stupid _helmet_ , and his stupid _scepter_.” She cut herself off and looked up to see a few of the aliens fly by above her as she moved closer to where Captain Americs and Natasha were fighting, wondering what they were planning, what they were doing. She looked back down in time to see Natasha run towards Rogers, jump on top of his shield, and then fly into the air as Rogers helped with the push of his shield.

When Kayla was a few feet next to him, she looked where Natasha had maneuvered the ship down the street. She quickly glanced at the captain, who was looking down the street in awe. “So,” Kayla started conversationally. “You two, huh?”

“What?” The super soldier turned towards Kayla, his mouth gaping open slightly. He looked flustered, not knowing what to say to that. Instead, he said, “I-I was just helping her up. She’s going up to the Tower to see what she can do with the cube.”

Kayla just looked at him suspiciously before raising an eyebrow. “Uh huh.”

He changed the subject by stepping forward. “You’re hurt.”

She followed his gaze down to her arm. “It’s not bleeding. A lot.” Kayla shrugged it off. She knew that it could be a bad thing, that her arm was still injured. “I’ll make it.”

She moved before he could tell her differently. In truth, her body hurt. _A lot._ Her head ached and she was exhausted, but she couldn’t stop, not in the middle of a war. Not with a city full of defenseless people who couldn’t protect themselves. They were the ones that could protect the innocents, the Avengers, and that was what she was going to do. It was what she came here to do.

She jumped back into the battle, fighting side by side with Captain America. Before the Chitauri could even get close to her – she didn’t want a repeat of last time – she was throwing shards, one after another. The two took down the few Chitauri on the street. A few minutes later, when Rogers took down the last of them, the comm in Kayla’s ear came to life. Clint’s voice came over. _“Captain, the bank down on forty-second past Maddison. They cornered a lot of civilians in there.”_

“I’m on it.”

_“Captain, there’s another group of civilians at the other end of the street.”_

There was a long pause. Kayla met the blue eyes of the Captain. Before he could even speak, she nodded, turning her comm back on. “I’ll take care of it.” Rogers opened his mouth to protest, but she continued. “Clint will watch over me, won’t ya?” She looked up at the building that the archer was perched on, seeing his figure crouched near the edge.

She couldn’t see the archer nod, but assumed he did as he looked down at them. “ _Yeah, I got her back. Eyes and ears.”_   Kayla slapped a hand to Roger’s shoulder before jogging down the street.

Clint gave her directions, and she followed, focusing on the task at hand. She ran down the road, only to be met with more of the Chitauri and she instantly threw up her shield around herself. Their weapons were raised, and the blue beams of light struck her pink dome. Through her flinches she saw a few of the aliens move around her. Kayla was surrounded, and she felt herself start to panic and a burning inside her. _I’m surrounded_. Panic and fear engulfed her, and before she even knew what was happening, all at once her whole body was glowing yellow, she was screaming, and pink shards were shooting out in all directions.

The brunette took deep breaths as she scanned the area around her. Her dome had dropped, and Kayla looked at the dozens of shards lying on the pavement around her, and in the bodies of the aliens. She was safe again. She could move on. A few seconds later, she was jogging away again. There were people who needed her help. She could think about how to pull that off again later. She didn’t bother picking up any of the shards, not even worrying about them.

Once she reached the building Clint led her to, she peeked through the glass, to see what the situation was inside. There were three of the aliens inside, crowding the people into the back corner. One of them had some device in its hand, a blue light flashing in its hand. Kayla had two seconds to think before she was slamming her fist into the glass. She rushed in as a few of the woman inside screamed, and Kayla immediately tackled a Chitauri, a shard sliding into its chest, and she was flinging another shard at the one heading towards her.

The next few moments went by in flashes. She yelled for the people to get out as she fought the alien. The last Chitauri had shot off a blast. The crowd of people screamed and ran out of the building. Kayla tried to dodge the chunk of cement falling from the ceiling.

The dust and cement settled around her, and she tried to slide away as she coughed for clean air. Only, her leg wasn’t moving. Kayla rubbed at her eyes to clear away the dust and tried to sit up. When she saw what was keeping her leg pinned, she gasped. A huge chunk of cement lay on her legs, though her left leg could still move, the right leg was completely pinned. Smaller chunks of the cement lay around her, and she coughed through the dirty air to try and push the chunk off of her. When she realized there was no chance that she could move it again, the silence filled the room around her, and she looked up to see if the room was empty - it wasn’t. There was a man and a woman standing in the doorway, and when Kayla laid eyes on them, they seemed to take that as their cue to head towards her.

“Hey,” the man stumbled over the cement chunks, and the woman stayed a ways away. He was tall, brown hair stuck up in every direction, and a layer of dust covering his shoulders. He must have been close when the shot was fired. “Hey, are you okay?”

Kayla took a deep breath, brushing her hair out of her face. “My leg’s stuck.”

 “I’m going to get you out, okay?” The man tried to move the weight, and after a few tries, spun around. “Sarah, come help me!”

Kayla closed her eyes for a brief second, listening to the sounds of screaming and explosions in the city. When the man spook again, she tried to focus on his face through the water that was building in her eyes. “On the count of the three, okay?” With the efforts of the man, the woman, and the one trapped underneath the cement, the three pushed on the count of three – to no avail.

That was when she heard the beeping. All three froze. Kayla tried to sit up and get a better look. “What is that, Billy?” The other woman was terrified, her blonde hair tangled with a few chunks of cement, as she looked toward the sound.

Kayla closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath. She saw the blue device in the hands of the Chitauri, had recognized it as a bomb. It was now lying underneath another chunk of cement, and it had been activated. Her voice was shaky as she grabbed the man’s hand. “You two need to go.”

When his blue eyes landed on hers, she could see that he was scared. Scared, but brave. He shook his head and began to speak, but she interrupted him. “No, you have to go. Take Sarah, and go, leave me and get as far away from here as possible.” The man hesitated. “ _Go_.”

The man took Sarah’s hand, and the two made it to the entrance before they stopped again. Sarah stared at her. “Thank you.”

Kayla let a small smile slip onto her lips before repeating, “Go.” When the two had left, she let herself feel scared since she first got into the building. _At least I saved them,_ she thought. _At least I saved a few people._ Explosions rocked the ground around her, the sounds of glass shattering and the ships zooming by. The bomb was just out of her reach, steadily beeping faster. It was steady, maybe thirty seconds apart. She tried her hardest to move her leg, but the cement wasn't budging. It was too much weight, for even the three of them to move.

She wasn’t going to make it out of there in time.

 _"Hudson, where are you?"_ Romanoff's voice came through the comm, and Kayla hit the button to reply.

"I'm down a ways from the bank," She grunted again with an effort to pull her leg out and coughed. The dust was still stirring. "I was getting people out of the building, and a piece of cement fell from the ceiling. My leg is stuck." She looked back at the bomb, hearing the beeping grow faster, twenty seconds apart. "There's a bomb."

 _"Kayla!”_ Clint's voice cracked through the comm. _"Get out of there!"_

"I can't," Kayla felt a tear slip down her face. "I can't move my leg."

 _"Hudson, I'm heading your way!"_ Roger's voice came next.

"No. Cap, no, you won't make it." Kayla coughed again, her throat growing dry. The beeping grew even closer together, now maybe ten seconds apart. "You won't be able to get us both out. There's not enough time."

_"I can do it-"_

"Steve," Kayla cut him off, the fear she had been holding back finally entering her voice. "Don't."

 _"Kayla,"_ Clint's voice was quiet, but she smiled at his voice and closed her eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Clint. I’ve accepted it." The beeping was seconds apart now, quickly getting faster and faster. She realized that she was okay with dying. She had done enough, had helped save the city, she hoped, and cleared the building. It was enough. A cough and a hard swallow later, she said, "Not every hero survives. Not in real life."

More voices came over the comm, but Kayla only smiled and closed her eyes. The beeping sounded in her ears, the only thing she could hear. "It's okay," she whispered, then turned her comm off. They didn’t need to hear the sound of the explosion, of her dying.

She let her head fall back, letting her body relax. The bomb was close, a few seconds apart, when the blast echoed around her.

oOo

_ Eight months ago _

_A business trip._

_That was all it was supposed to be._

“Kayla!” The woman turned at the sound of her name. Tessa Brown waited with her hand in the air as she stood on her tiptoes to be seen over the small crowd. Kayla smiled, and Tessa’s hand waved more excitingly knowing that she was seen. The woman shook her head at her assistant as she pulled her bag behind her and weaved through the small crowd. Tessa had left earlier, to get settled and scope out the places she thought Kayla would enjoy the most.

_A business trip. One that changed her life forever._

Tessa grabbed Kayla’s bag the moment she was in reach, despite the bag she was already carrying. The author had learned to stop protesting a long time ago. Tessa was her assistant, but no matter how many times Kayla told her she didn’t have to carry her bags, the girl did it every time. Tessa tried to make her life as simple as possible, and never stopped working her best. She really enjoyed her job, and Kayla really enjoyed having her around.

_The business trip._

Tessa was wearing a gray sweater, and pink scarf wrapped around her neck, with her blonde curls falling into the fabric. A black pair of skinny jeans, and a pair of combat boots wrapped up her attire. Her blue eyes were always filled with adventure and joy, which was always a sight that Kayla never tired of. Kayla herself was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a blue blouse, and a peacoat. Her brown hair was pulled into a French braid, though the wind was making a few strands of hair fall out of the braid.

As the two woman made their way to the bus that would take them to their hotel, Kayla felt a tingly sensation make its way across her back. The hair on the back of her neck and arms stood up, and a shiver went down her spine. She paused in step, tempted to look around, but she pushed the thought away. _It was the wind._ They were, after all, in Norway. After they dropped their bags off at the hotel, they ventured out and started to explore.

“Here’s a tip, young Padawan; if you want to be an author, you have to do it right,” Kayla was telling the younger girl, pointing at her and making sure she was paying attention. “If I’m going to publish a book that’s set in Norway, I’m going to write the book _in Norway_. An accurate setting always makes for an accurate book.”

The other woman rose an eyebrow, as if to say _yeah, okay._ Then her expression sobered. “You’re lucky, ya know?” Tessa asked, her southern drawl present at the last bit of her sentence. She smiled at Kayla, and Kayla let out a laugh. “And dedicated. You would travel across the world just to write a chapter of a novel, or a sentence if a character just described a _place_. You would have the exact details, down to the dot.”

Kayla glanced at the girl of only twenty years walking next to her, who she thought of as a sister. Tessa had become her assistant two years ago, at one of the author’s book signings. The girl had a copy of her first novel, and she was talking to Kayla as she signed, going on about her favorite parts of the book. She was talking so fast and nervously, but she seemed to understand exactly what Kayla had been trying to get across. The meaning behind the meaning, which few understood. Kayla had been surprised; no one had understood, no one except an eighteen-year-old who had been interning at a lawyer’s office. Kayla invited her to coffee the next day, and by lunch, she was hiring an assistant.

Looking at the girl now, Kayla knew she did the right thing hiring Tessa. Not only did the girl change the author’s life forever, but she knew that Tessa would learn so much more working with an author by her side, to get first-hand experience and advice. And, by doing this for the girl, Kayla had gained more than a friend, someone she could trust for once in her life, someone who wouldn’t disappear on her.

She sighed as she glanced at the blonde, who was currently staring up at a building in awe. The architecture was fascinating and breathtaking. “I approve,” the younger of the two said as her gaze moved to another building. “Even if you end up poor from all of these ‘business trips.’”

_The business trip that ruined everything._

“Have you ever thought,” Kayla stepped up, admiring the building beside Tessa, “that I go on all of these business trips just so I can have you tell me how awesome it is? Or, because me and you have more girl time together?”

Tessa gave her a knowing look, an eyebrow raised. Kayla couldn’t help the smile that slipped onto her lips, as she ducked her head shyly, dragging out her next words. “Or, maybe it’s because I have writers block.”

The younger girl laughed. “That’s more like it.”

Kayla nudged the blonde with her shoulder, and the two started walking again. “Might as well do something fun to get an idea, right?” Tessa rolled her eyes and got an elbow to the ribs. After a few more minutes of chit chat, the women made their way into a park, where they ended up standing on a bridge and admiring the pond beneath them.

_The last business trip._

A shiver ran up Kayla’s spine again, that feeling of being watched returning. This time, she turned. She locked eyes with a man at the other end of the bridge, and it was as if that one glance started everything, even if Kayla didn’t know it. He was holding hands with a woman, and the couple looked happy as they walked across the bridge. Kayla smiled politely at them, before turning back to the pond.

What happened next was a blur for the author. Everything happened at once. The man touched her shoulder, his face lighting up with joy and surprise, recognizing her as the author of her series. They shook hands, and he told her how amazing her work was. He called her by name, and told her how beautiful her house was.

She focused on his eyes, the piercing blue. They were eyes that knew more than what was coming out of his mouth, full of something she couldn’t exactly place. “I wanted to show you how much your books mean to me,” the man was saying, and it wasn’t until then that she realized, _how does he know what my house looks like?_

After that, it seemed like somebody had hit the fast forward button on a remote. He pulled something out of his jacket, the object gleaming in what little sun peaked through the clouds. And then he was moving, his arm wrapping around the woman’s waist, his other hand up to her throat. Another moment later, and the woman’s mouth opened, but no sound came out, and her neck was covered in red. Kayla was frozen, staring down as the red haired woman slipped to the ground. She didn’t even notice as Tessa was moved from her side.

A scream pierced the air, and the man was talking, but Kayla couldn’t hear him. Not until Tessa was grabbed, and Kayla suddenly knew what was happening. The scream was Tessa, hysterical from having just watched a woman get murdered right before their eyes. The man was covering Tessa’s mouth, his face right in front of hers, and he was speaking quietly to her. “Don’t scream, it’s okay. This is all for Kayla, the proof to show her how much I love her. How loyal I am to her. Don’t you want to show how much you love her?”

Kayla was still frozen, and now Tessa was struggling against the man. His hands were covered in blood, and he was trying to hold Tessa still. Then, he brought the knife up, and in a quick motion, his hand was falling back to his side.

_The worst day of her life._

Kayla, horrified, and scared for her friends life, shot her hand out, a scream of “No!” falling from her lips. But it was too late. Blood fell from her throat. The man threw Tessa. She fell to the stone beneath her, by the other woman. As Tessa fell, and Kayla screamed for this to stop, for it all to stop, a flash of pink shot from her outstretched hand. Pink struck the man’s neck, made him stagger to the ground, but Kayla was turning to her friend.

The author dropped to her knees and grabbed her friend. Tessa was struggling to breathe, the blood dripping from her. There was so much blood. How was she still alive? Kayla didn’t know, she just knew that she was crying, and Tessa, her best friend, was dying. She clutched her best friend to her chest as both women suffered.

The blonde looked up at her best friend, her sister. “It,” she stuttered, choking around the blood. “Hurts.”

Kayla pushed the hair away from her face, tears falling from her face. “It… hurts.”

Kayla nodded, feeling her entire body heat up with despair, anger, and confusion. But she had to make this better, because she knew this was her fault. She was losing everything at that moment, as Tessa slipped away. “I’m sorry,” she choked out, tears clouding her vision. She pulled her friends head up to her chest and rocked her. “I’m so sorry.”

The words he said would haunt her for the rest of her life.

oOo

_ Two hours later _

She was dead because of Kayla.

A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, and the lights of the emergency vehicles flashed through the night. Kayla stared straight ahead, focused on nothing as the images flashed through her head. She kept seeing Tessa’s face, streaked with blood, the flash of the knife in that man’s hands. He had done that because of _her._ Because he was a psychopath who was obsessed with the murders in her novels, he killed that woman, and _Tessa_ , because of _her._

A police officer touched Kayla on the shoulder, startling the girl out of her thoughts. The woman had blonde hair, almost the same color as Tessa’s, which caused her to choke up. She remembered her from earlier, the one that spoke the most fluent English, and would stay with her to be a translator of sorts. “We are going to take you to the station now.” Kayla zoned out as she continued to talk. Paperwork, a statement, another check-up, all things Kayla didn’t want to do, didn’t want to even think about. She wanted to go home, to take Tessa home so that she could mourn over her friend.

Kayla shivered as the images flashed over her thoughts again. The man and Tessa falling, blood everywhere, the flash of pink.

 _What happened to the man?_ They had asked her, _how did he die?_ She had answered truthfully. _I don’t know_.

Kayla pushed her hand into her pocket, feeling the object of unknown. Through the pain and the despair, before the paramedics had arrived, she had calmed down enough to think it all over. To think over what the man had said, and why, when she held Tessa as she passed, the man was gone. She leaned over, seeing the object by his throat. She had picked it up, her thoughts haunting her.

The flash of pink had probably saved her life, though it wasn’t quick enough to save Tessa’s.

Kayla pulled the glass-like object out of her pocket, the pink glow illuminating the small space of the back of the ambulance.  She held the object in her hand as she stared at it, thoughts swarming, unanswered questions. Tessa was dead, Kayla’s hope along with her. Everything was lost.

And yet, the proof lay in her hands; everything had changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little hesitant with this chapter, how Norway went down... What do you think?


	12. We Could Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the cover image at FanFiction, done by my Twin, CherryMountain. It's now my wallpaper. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10294766/1/Blame-it-on-Norway
> 
> Now on Ao3, in a separate post called Days of Kayla

Kayla flinched, the air moving around her and the sound ringing in her ears, but she didn’t feel any pain. In the span of a few seconds, a red blur and another flash of white light entered her vison. The next moment, the block of cement was lifted, and Kayla blinked up at Iron Man with a gasp. Stark reached down, putting his arms under her. The suit moved, jumping into the air with a tight hold on Kayla.

She flinched as the blast sounded behind them, and the sound of the building crumbling down to the ground. The woman glanced up at Stark, who then said, _“Not if I have anything to say about it.”_

He was setting her down a moment later, her legs holding her up. Which meant her leg was fine, she would be okay. Kayla glanced up at Stark, who was standing a few feet away, his hand out, ready to catch her if she fell. _“You okay?”_ Kayla nodded, running her hands over her hair and arms. She took a deep breath before focusing completely on Stark. “Thank you.”

He nodded, before he tilted his head to the side, as if he were listening to his comm unit. After a moment, he reached out and touched her arm. _“Gotta go.”_

She took a deep breath before opening up the line. “I made it out,” she said, but didn’t wait for a reply. “Iron Man got me out.” She found Captain America and Thor down the road, and started to make her way towards them.

Kayla knew that they didn’t have time to talk it out, and Clint seemed to know that too. They had a city to save. She only had time to look up as Clint said “good,” and then he was jumping off of the building. Kayla gasped as his body fell, before he smashed through the glass of a window. She found herself rolling her eyes when she heard him groaning over the comm. He would be fine. It was his own damn fault if he got hurt pulling a stunt like that. The woman continued forward, getting back on track.

Kayla got in a few more hits with a Chitauri, but she was weakening. After the bomb, and the blood loss, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could fight. Cap too, who had his cowl down, and a layer of dust covered his body.

Thor held out a hand to Cap, pulling him up off the ground. “Ready for another bout?”

Cap let out a laugh. “What, you getting sleepy?” He asked, breathing heavily.

“How much longer can we-“ Kayla cut herself off as she looked up at Rogers. She didn’t want to finish the sentence, she didn’t want to lose hope. But…

 _“I can close it.”_ Natasha’s voice came through the comm. The spy sounded hopeful. _“Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down.”_

Kayla immediately looked up at the blue beam in the sky. Hope.

“Do it!” Rogers said.

 _“No, wait.”_ It was Tony.

“Stark, these things are still coming-“

_“I got a nuke coming in, it’s going to blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it.”_

The portal. If they got rid of the portal, then they could just get the ones on the ground. It was better than more piling out of the sky. But a nuke? Why would they send a nuke into New York?

“Stark,” The captain’s voice was quiet. “You know that’s a one way trip.”

Kayla’s eyes snapped back up to the sky, searching for Iron Man. She waited for him to respond, but the only response she got was the suit flying over them, up the side of the tower. She watched as he flew next to the beam, then disappeared into the sky. She knew that if he didn’t do this, then the whole city would be gone, and all of them with it. But Iron Man had saved her life, and she couldn’t do anything to save his.

They all watched as he disappeared into the portal, as the black space above glowed orange and yellow with the blast. But Tony didn’t come out. “Tony?” She found herself asking quietly. The Chitauri around them fell to the ground, as if they ran on electricity and they got shut down. Kayla saw a few of them fall from buildings, saw the huge beast fall from the sky. The woman looked back at the sky, but Stark didn’t appear.

“Close it,” Rogers gave the command. She kept her eyes glued to the sky as Natasha closed the portal. The blue beam flickered out, and the whole in the sky slowly started to shrink, until it was closed. With it, a figure fell out of the sky.

“Son of a gun,” Rogers said in disbelief, as Kayla found herself gripping Thor’s arm. “He made it.”

Iron Man continued to fall from the sky, and that was when they realized that that was just what he was doing; falling. Either the suit wasn’t working, or…

“He’s not slowing down,” Thor said, as he began to swing the hammer in his hand, ready to take off. Kayla watched Tony fall, thinking of the possibilities. Thor could definitely get to him in time. But before he could take off into the sky, another figure jumped. Hulk grabbed him out of the sky, using the building to slow his fall. When he reached the ground, he stared at the suit of armor before depositing the man onto the road. Kayla followed behind Thor, until the god peeled off the face mask to get to Tony. Kayla stood next to him, looking down.

The glow in his chest – there was none. There was no blue light. Did that mean…? Kayla put a hand to her mouth, looking away. She sidestepped as Hulk backed up, giving him more room, and they lapsed into silence.

Then the Hulk let out a roar, piercing the air around them. Tony’s eyes snapped open and he sucked in a breath of air. Hulk let out another roar, quieter this time, sounding victorious. “ _What_ the hell,” Tony said, the blue light glowing brighter on his chest. Kayla found herself smiling in relief. _He’s alive._ “What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me.”

Kayla rolled her eyes, before looking back up. The portal was closed, and with a glance around, the Chitauri still looked out of it. The nuke was gone, and the city had quieted. Everything would be okay.

“We won,” Rogers said, and Kayla watched as Tony closed his eyes briefly. She grinned up at Thor and cast a glance at the Hulk.

“Okay, yay, hurray, good job guys.” Tony let his head fall back to the ground. “Let’s just not come in tomorrow. Let’s just, take a day. You ever try shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.”

Kayla laughed. _Yup, Tony’s back._ She got a glance from the Hulk. The big green guy let out another grunt.

“We’re not finished yet,” Thor said. They all turned to the god, realizing at once. _Loki._

“And then shawarma after.”

oOo

When everything had calmed down, the theory was that the Chitauri were somehow all connected. That once they blew up the big ship that had been floating in space, the rest of the army fell. Kayla had taken a seat down on the hood of a car, realizing that she had a limp. With further inspection, she found her leg covered in bruises, and she was pretty sure her ankle was sprained, but nothing hectic. Nothing to panic over.It must have been the adrenaline earlier, that kept her up and moving, where now, she just wanted to sleep for days.

The team gathered, and she got wrapped up in Clint, who didn’t say a word as he checked her over, which was unusual. He looked at all of her cuts and bruises, before running a hand over her hair and sighing. While he did that, she watched his eyes, which flicked over her body, seeing the concentration and the small amount of worry. When his inspection was finished, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling one of her own over his shoulders to help her walk. When the team started towards the tower, Hulk poked a finger into her shoulder, and she patted his hand back. She grinned up at him. “You’re not so bad,” she said, thinking. Everyone saw him as a monster, but he wasn’t; he was just a big version of a kid, or something. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she reassured, though she had no idea if he was trying to see if she would break, or if he was worried because she couldn’t walk on her own. She got a grunt in return, and then he jumped away.

The team made their way up the tower, finding Loki, with a Hulk standing over him. The god awoke, and Kayla watched as he stared at all of them. His eyes seemed less… intense. Less icy and cold.

S.H.I.E.L.D. came shortly after, and the mess of the city had started to get cleaned up. Men in gear secured the city, containing the Chitauri bodies, and medical teams were tending to the wounded civilians. Kayla’s arm was patched up, and her leg was looked over, while the Hulk transformed back into Bruce. Clint was restocking his quiver, while Tony removed his suit. Rogers looked at them all, from the two assassins, to the two geniuses, to Thor and Kayla, nodding his head in approval.

It was the best pep-talk ever.

oOo

Over the next few days, the news channels played clips of what happened in New York. They played interviews of people who survived, who were saved by a superhero. Art was shown, graffiti, tattoos, basic sketches, and kids’ drawings. People appreciated the Avengers, were thanking them for saving their lives and the world. They had hope that their world would be protected.

Although talk was mostly about Captain America, and Iron Man, Kayla saw someone, a little girl, holding a shard. It was a rectangle, a piece of pink cardboard, but it made her heart sore. The little girl had said she wanted to be like Kayla when she grew up. Others noticed her, though they never saw her face or knew her name.

Not many would recognize her, Natasha or Clint either. They were S.H.I.E.L.D., they hid well. No one would connect her, Kayla Hudson. But she felt strange, having a secret identity. Everyone knew that Tony was Iron Man, that Steve was Captain America. Thor was Thor, and the Hulk would always be the big green guy.

Kayla’s phone rang, as she was deep in thought watching the television. She stood, picking up the phone from her coffee table before moving slowly with a slight limp over to the window. The number was unknown, but she flipped it open anyways. ”Hello.”

 _“New kid,”_ The voice caused Kayla to freeze, startled. Then she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Tony? How the hell did you get my number?”

 _“Wouldn’t you like to know,”_ Tony said.

“Yeah, I would actually,” She glared at the TV screen from her place by the window, since she couldn’t glare at who she really wanted to. But then she let her head tilt back. _Duh, boy genius who loves to play with who knows what and more._

 _“Not important. Look, meet us at Central Park.”_ Tony rose his voice, over the static that came over the line. After a moment, she realized it was the wind. _“Goldilocks and the Big Bad Wolf are heading back over the rainbow. We’re throwing them a goodbye party.”_

Kayla rolled her eyes. Thor and Loki were finally heading back to Asgard, after being held at S.H.I.E.L.D. for two days. She made her way over to the door, stopping at the table there to pick up the key to her hotel room, before setting it back down and deciding to get dressed. She was going to Central Park, might as well wear real clothes. “Wait, Central Park?”

“ _Yeah, you know. Like, trees, lake, huge part of the city?”_

“I know where-“ Kayla cut herself off, rolling her eyes again. “I’m across the city, at a hotel. I’d have to catch a bus, or a taxi. Who knows how traffic is going-“

_“No need, I’ll swing by. Which hotel?”_

Kayla glanced at the key card, surprised he offered. She rattled off the hotel and the address.

 _“Oh, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s got good taste. See you soon.”_ And then Tony hung up a second later. She shrugged, going to her small suitcase and pulling out a change of clothes. A pair of black skinny jeans, a red T-shirt and her denim jacket with sweater sleeves. A pair of black boots thrown on, and then she was picking up her hotel key and her phone back up, making her way to the door. Down in the lobby, the doorman offered to hail a cab, but she declined.

She stepped outside, standing on the sidewalk. She didn’t have to wait long, hearing AC/DC blaring as a car pulled up. Kayla let out a whistle of appreciation, watching as Tony pulled up in an exotic convertible. The man nodded with the beat as he leaned over and opened the passenger door for her. She rolled her eyes. _Billionaire,_ she thought. Tony peeled away the second the door shut behind her into the lane, causing a few cars to honk their horns. Stark himself laid on the horn a good ten seconds as they sped away. Only when they were in less traffic did he turn down the music. “JARVIS, music off.”

The music turned off, and only the sound of the wind rushed past, blowing her hair around. “So, New Kid, did you start writing again?”

Shocked, Kayla turned to the man. He glanced at her over his sunglasses, raising an eyebrow. She couldn’t believe that he remembered, or even _cared._ She looked away from his gaze, swallowing before answering. “It’s only been two days.” She paused at his look, then let out a sigh. “No. I haven’t.”

Tony took another moment to look at her before turning back to the road ahead of him. “You will.” Kayla glanced at him again, saw the way he looked confident. He continued. “Traumatic events are a pain in the ass, but they make you think. Firsthand experience and all. Give it a try. Trust me.”

Kayla stared at the billionaire. She was seeing another side of him, a side that had been through, like he said, traumatic events and changed his way of thinking. He understood. She smiled. Behind the humor, the nicknames, and the know-it-all persona, he understood what it was like to go through something that changed your life. She realized that the humor and the cockiness, it was just a shield. To protect himself from closeness, from his past, from emotions. Tony Stark was a good man after all. And maybe, with his advice, she could go back to writing, after New York. Tessa and Jared would want her to.

Tony pulled into Central Park, going past the SUVs that blocked the roadway, and the suits who nodded in their direction. Kayla looked through the windshield, seeing that they were the last to arrive. Tony climbed out of the car first, and she followed suit. She spotted the two brothers, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint, all heading towards the middle of the pavement. She walked along side Tony, who was holding a silver briefcase. “Thanks for the ride, Tony.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tony pulled the hand that was in his pocket out and gestured towards her. “Seriously. Don’t bring it up. Ever.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. She glanced over at the small group, seeing Dr. Selvig come over to them. She watched the billionaire open the briefcase, and the two worked together on the Tesseract. She took the time to walk over to Thor. As she stepped closer, the god smiled down at her.

“Thanks for fighting by our sides. We make a good team.” Kayla smiled.

“You are welcome.” Thor and her both glanced over at the black haired brother, who was glaring. He was wearing some sort of tech on his face that could be some sort of gag to keep him quiet. He was also wearing some high tech handcuffs.

“What’s going to happen to him?” Kayla asked while putting her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Thor turned to his brother, though he was still talking to the woman. “He will face his crimes on Asgard. Our father will decide his fate.”

“And the Tesseract?”

“It will be placed in a vault, where few will be able to enter. It will be safe kept.”

Kayla watched as Loki’s gaze turned hard. She glanced around, seeing that the others had gathered, though stayed some distance away. Tony and Selvig were still talking over the device. She glanced up at the god again, upset with what would happen next. She knew she would miss Thor. “Will you come back? To Earth?”

Thor smiled down at her quickly, before gazing at the trees around them. “The bridge to the nine realms has been destroyed on Asgard.” He paused as Kayla nodded a bit sadly. She thought that the god and her had become some kind of friends at least. Thor touched her arm. “But I am certain I will return. Heimdall will find a path for me to take. I have found many friends here on Midgard. You, Dr. Selvig, Darcy. And Lady Jane.”

Kayla nodded, smiling again. “You’re always welcome to visit, you know. I won’t mind seeing you every now and then.”

Thor grinned. “Thank you.” His voice gruff, he let out a laugh. “One day, I shall bring you to Asgard, if you desire. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three will find a friend in you as well.”

Kayla grinned back, bouncing on her tip toes. “That would be amazing.” She saw that Tony and Selvig were moving forward, so she reached out and touched Thor’s arm.

He looked over, then back to her. “I wish there to be peace for Midgard.” She nodded, and then she found that she was being pulled into a hug, a huge arm wrapping around her shoulder.

She laughed against his shoulder. “Stay safe, big guy.”

When the blonde pulled away, he nodded himself, squeezing her shoulder one last time. “You as well, little one.”

The girl stepped back, making room for the two doctors who came over, Selvig holding some sort of container. Bruce did the honors of putting the cube into it. The container that Tony had pulled out of his briefcase earlier. Kayla stepped in line with the rest of the group that circled around the two brothers. Thor said goodbye to Selvig, and Kayla watched as Natasha whispered something into Clint’s ear as the archer stared at Loki. A few moments later, the woman was pulling away and Clint was smirking.

Thor held up the container, waiting for his brother to take hold of the case. Loki sent one more glare down at the thing before taking it in his hand. Thor took another moment to glance around at everyone, nodded, then turned to the handle of the container. The two Asgardians glowed blue, then seemed to fade some before they shot up into the air. Then they were gone.

Kayla let out a sigh as she gazed up into the sky. _Another friend, gone_. But, she knew that this one hadn’t left for good. He would only be in another place for a while. Everyone else moved then, and Kayla moved towards the astrophysicist. “You look well, Dr. Selvig.”

“Yes, thank you,” Selvig said as he smiled down at her. She had only met him once or twice, down at S.H.I.E.L.D. But she kind of felt bad for the guy. She knew that he had been a big part of the whole battle, opening up the portal and what not. She smiled at the doctor once before glancing around. Her eyes landed on Clint, before changing her course as she walked over to the billionaire. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “So, you never did tell me how you got my number.”

Tony turned, then stared down at the object in her hand. “What _is_ that?” Before she had a chance to answer, he pulled the flip phone into his own hand, looking the phone over. He shook his head, handing it back to her. “Is that from the Stone Age or something?”

“You know what?” Kayla waved her hand at him, the phone held in her grasp, before taking a few steps back. “You’re the billionaire here, not me. Some people gotta deal with what they got.”

Tony shook his head, tossing the briefcase into the back seat of his car. “Come by the Tower whenever, kid.”

His gaze slid back to her, but she shrugged. “I don’t know how long I’ll be in New York. And besides, I don’t think that’s my scene, hanging out with the cool kids.”

Tony shrugged, and as she began to walk away, he called out. “Remember what I said.”

She nodded, remembering their conversation about her writing again, sending him a wave before walking away. She saw the captain walking towards her, and she smiled up at Rogers. “Hey.”

 “Ma’am.” He greeted, and she smiled. She still didn’t know if it was the soldier in him, or if it was just because he grew up in the thirties. “It was an honor to fight by your side.”

“The honor was mine, Cap.” Kayla shrugged. “Who knows, maybe we’ll see each other again. Maybe at the battle ground.”

Cap smiled. “Or… not.” Kayla laughed. She reached out and touched his arm in farewell. As she took a few steps, she paused, turning back. “And, hey,” Rogers turned, looking over his side. “While exploring this new world, if you ever need any tips about books, or have any questions, I’m your go-to-girl, okay?”

The man nodded, before the two shared a laugh and went their separate ways. Bruce was her next goodbye, as she walked towards him. He was finishing up a conversation with Natasha and Clint. The doctor shook hands with the redhead, then Clint, before spotting her and heading over. They met half way. “So. Staying in New York?”

The doctor shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Me neither,” Kayla glanced over at the spot where the two gods disappeared.

“Stark wants me to swing by the Tower.” Bruce shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. As if the engineer knew that his name was spoken, he raised an arm in the air. “Dr. Banner,” he called out.

“You should.” Kayla shrugged her own shoulders, also slipping her hands into her back pockets. “Heard he’s got a lab with your name on it.”

Bruce gestured, giving the girl a small smile. “Bye, Kayla.”

“See ya, Bruce,” she replied. The doctor ducked his head, before moving past her towards Tony. As she raised her own head, she realized that there were only two more people to say goodbye to; Natasha and Clint. She hadn’t seen either of them since they took Loki into custody and hopped onto the Helicarrier. Kayla let her gaze land on Natasha, who gave her a nod, and then the spy stepped towards a silver car, slipping into the passenger seat.

She heard the engine of Tony’s car come to life, watched as he sped by with his arm raised high. Then she watched Rogers climb onto his motorcycle, and the soldier speed away in the other direction.

Then, it was just her and Clint. Not counting all of the agents still standing around the area, and the truck that Dr. Selvig came in. She met the archers gaze, his sunglasses still perched on his nose, covering his eyes. Kayla rose her eyebrows, waiting for him to move first. A moment later and he was walking forward, he moved the sunglasses from his nose to the top of his head. He stopped a foot away, close enough for her to have to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. As they silently looked at each other, Kayla felt her hand involuntarily move together so she could fiddle with her bracelet.

“We have to report back with S.H.I.E.L.D. Files to fill out, reports to hand in.” Clint rolled his eyes.

“Didn’t you do that yesterday?” Kayla asked, rocking back on her heels.

“Big battle, a lot of reports.” Clint answered. They lapsed into silence, and the two watched each other. Kayla waited. “Look, Kay, I’m going to be gone for a while, I think.”

That was not what she had expected to hear. “What do you mean?” She stepped forward half a step, so that he would look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Clint brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing a hand across his brow. He seemed to be thinking, about what he was going to say, or maybe what he didn’t want to say. “I just need to get away for a while. The battle, Coulson, it’s making me think, about _everything_.”

“Why do you need to go away for that?” Was what Kayla asked, but what she really wanted to ask, was _why do you need to get away from_ me _to do that?_

“Kay,” the archer said, like his patience was wearing thin. Then he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. His voice was much softer as he said, “Just give me a few days, alright?”

His eyes pleaded with her, and his hand hesitated in the air in between them. “Fine,” Kayla nodded. “Call me, okay?”

Clint nodded. Silence lapsed again. But Kayla didn’t want to leave it as them snapping at each other. The girl rocked back on her heels again. “I think I’ll get an apartment here, in New York, at least for a while. It’s a pretty nice setting for a book.” The archer raised an eyebrow at the mention of writing again. That was true, she was thinking about writing again, thanks to Tony, but it was also to let him know that she would be in one place, so he knew where to find her. She smiled, knowing that she would be okay. That _he_ would. She reached forward, touching his jacket over his heart briefly. “I’ll see you later, Cupid.”

“That’s a new one,” he replied as she started to walk backwards. She grinned at him, but before she got any farther, his hand snapped out. And the next thing she knew, Clint was _there_ , all of him. His lips pressed against hers, pulling her body close. Both of his hands pressed against her head, the warm skin making her body tingle. Her heart flipped in her chest as she moved her lips against his. The two kissed again, and Kayla found her hands wrapping into his jacket at his hips, pulling herself closer. Clint pulled away, only to kiss her again more deeply. Warmth spread along her whole body, and her lips tingled with the contact. The archer pulled away finally, pressing his forehead to hers as they both caught their breath. She could feel him breathe against her lips, before he whispered, “No goodbyes.”

Kayla nodded, both of their heads moving with the shake of hers. She had forgotten the no goodbyes rule. She felt his thumb run across her cheek before copying her movements from before, taking a few steps backward. She finally opened her eyes, letting out a shaky breath and raising her hand in a two finger salute. Clint smiled, mimicking her.

It wasn’t goodbye.

oOo

Kayla sat in the swivel chair, her foot against the floor so she could spin back and forth. She had been sitting in the chair for what felt like hours, staring at the desk, contemplating. She remembered what Tony had said, that it made him think about what he wanted, traumatic events. She knew exactly what she wanted. What Kayla Hudson wanted was her life back. Her old life, being an author, and her new life, filled with belonging. And the first step to getting her life back, was this: the author picked up the pencil, and began to write an adventure.

\---

Most people say, when it comes to endings, is that it should end with the words itself; the end. But my story doesn’t end here.

No, this is only the beginning. I didn’t know what my destiny had in store for me, but apparently, New York was just the sneak peek. There is still so much more for me to do, so many more lives to save, with the help of my teammates. Embracing a destiny is hard, and for people like me, there is no end. There are only beginnings.

My name is Shard, and this, well… This is just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the continuation of Blame it on Norway! Hopefully chapter thirteen will be up in a week or two!


	13. Part Two - Sketches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so now that we're out of the movie, I am free to create! There will be a bunch of changes from the MCU I'm afraid, because I've decided to dive into the comics a little, in Chapter 15 and so on, and I'm not sure that I'll go into Cap 2 or Thor 2. I am officially making Chapter 13 a Part 2 of Blame it on Norway. So this chapter is Chapter 1, but is really 13.
> 
> This chapter is called Sketches, and is kind of confusing at the beginning, because it starts out three months after the battle, but then goes back to two weeks after New York and kind of jumps forward a bit. And we don't go back to three months after the battle until about Chapter Four/Sixteen, however you look at it. It's supposed to be my Steve filled chapter, where Kayla and Steve become friends, and hang out at lunch and and at the gym together.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and if you have any questions or if it's really confusing, just ask. Special thanks to CherryMountain, my beta and dear sister!

_The Chitauri stood, its mouth opening in a growl, ready to attack. Without warning, it lurched forward, tackling Kayla to the ground before she could jump away from its reach. The alien pinned her legs down to the ground with its weight, and its hand clenched over her wound, its grip tight. Pain shot through her arm and she let out a scream. Kayla’s teeth clenched together as she pushed with all her might with her free arm to free herself, but it didn’t work. The Chitauri only moved a few inches. It grabbed her head with both of its hands, letting out another growl. Kayla felt her own warm blood on her temple as it lifted her head off of the ground-_

Kayla lurched forward, sitting up. Her breathing was ragged, and her heart was beating hard. With a layer of sweat on her skin, her body filled with fear and adrenaline, as she looked around the dark room. It was empty, the moonlight and the city lights shining through the windows. Kayla took a deep breath, throwing the covers off of herself, and turning so her legs dangling off the side of her queen sized bed. The author held her head in her hands, elbows rested on her knees, as she fought off the panic and fear. When her breathing calmed down, she ran her hands through her hair and sat up straight. _It was a dream,_ she thought to herself. _Just a nightmare._

The clock on her bedside table read 4:23am. _Reasonable time to start the day._

After a long shower, Kayla got dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a long sleeve shirt before curling up in a computer chair with a mug of hot chocolate. After a quick glance at her desk, she thought about how writing made her feel better and relaxed, so that’s what she did for the next five hours. She was working on a new spy/agent story, if someone asked, for a friend

At around ten, Kayla decided to go out and eat lunch. She slipped on a gray hoodie before slipping on her converse, tucking in the laces before pulling on a black beanie over her brown hair. The woman grabbed her bag, throwing her wallet, her keys, and a sketchbook into it before heading out. Instead of using the elevator, she jogged down the stairs like she had been doing for the past three months, though she usually got a jog in for the day in the afternoon. Once down the four flights of stairs, she walked down the streets of New York, looking for a café to eat at. The not-quite-autumn wind and sun was enough to make her smile and decided a long walk would be enjoyable.

She ordered food at a café, and sat at a table for two outside. As she began to eat, she thought about the past three months, which was becoming normal at lunch. How she had gotten a good schedule down. She would spend most of the day writing her new novel, lunch at a café with Steve, an hour or two to draw, a jog through the park, and then home to write again, with whatever the day brought for dinner, and the spontaneous change of the day when Bruce ever called.

A memory surfaced, back from May. It had been two weeks after the Battle, and she had been searching for a café to eat at, much like the one she ate at then.

oOo

_ Three months ago. _

After she finished her meal at the choice of café that day, she pulled out her sketchbook and flipped to a new page, getting ready to draw. Today, for some odd reason, she was tempted to draw Stark Tower during the battle. She was baffled to as why she drew from memories that gave her nightmares. _Maybe_ , she told herself, _it would make it easier_. Kayla continued to draw from memory, the portal putting a whole in the sky, with ships pouring out of space. She drew the windows of the building, with only half of Stark’s name.

It wasn’t the first time she had drawn a scene from the battle. She found herself drawing a Chitauri once, but had tucked it away – not even half way through the drawing - where she wouldn’t have to see the haunting image. She thought that if she drew the memories, she would accept what happened, and get over it.

When she was finished with the outlines of everything, she started to shade in the areas that needed it. While finishing up, she began to think about the Avengers, and the thought of her teammates made her smile slightly. They fought well together, automatically taking orders from Rogers, like it was second nature, even the Hulk.

When the drawing was finished, she drew her legs up, one foot flat on the chair underneath her while the other bent out, knee pointing at the chair opposite her. Kayla let her head fall back, closing her eyes against the heat of the sun. She was listening to the traffic around her, and the sounds of people talking, bike chains rattling, when a voice broke through. It was closer than the rest, a few feet away from her. “Is this seat taken?”

She was about ready to snap at the man, _hell no, I do not need the company,_ to tell the guy to screw off. But, the voice was familiar, stopping her from snapping. Instead, she opened her eyes with a frown, and looked up at the face standing across from her. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a body layered with muscle. “Steve?”

Rogers nodded, a smile on his features. He looked more handsome than the last time Kayla had seen him; his hair was shorter, a little more crazy than it had been combed down and neat. He looked genuinely happy, rather than serious and all commanding. He was still wearing button up shirts, she saw, though he was wearing modern plaid, which was an improvement. Also a black leather jacket and a pair of jeans that he filled out nice. Kayla couldn’t quite place it, but he looked more… modern.

She realized that he was still standing there, and she waved her hand out, shaking her head to herself. “Yeah, no, sit down.” She grinned, watching him fold into the chair, looking humorous.

“You looked,” Steve paused, setting down a cup of coffee in front of him. “Really out of it there.”

She was. It was so unexpected, to see Steve Rogers, though she had just been thinking about him. “Yeah,” she leaned forward, moving her pencil, before she looked at him shyly. “I just – I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Kayla ran her tongue over her lips. “It’s been a while. How’ve you been? Anything new?”

“Yeah, it has,” Steve leaned forward, folding his arms on the table over one another. He nodded. “I’m good. Still trying to get used to everything. Started watching movies, some TV?”

Kayla leaned back, brushing a strand of hair from her face, her eyebrows lifting slightly. “Yeah? Do you like them?”

“Some,” Steve paused, looking down to his coffee. “It’s strange. But, you know, I’m really just watching them to catch up.” Kayla laughed. Adjusting seemed like hell, and she knew if she were him, it would be hard for her. “So, what about you? What have you been doing since the battle?”

“I rented an apartment, up on twelfth.” Kayla watched to see if he knew where, and he nodded in understanding. “Decided to stay awhile. It’s a lot different than Pennsylvania, with the traffic and all of the people, where PA was mostly woods and cabins. I have a house there, by the university. I’ve been writing, and I think after I finish this book, maybe I’ll move back.”

“What’s the book about?” Steve asked. “Mystery novels, right?”

“Usually, yes.” Kayla glanced down, touching her sketchbook with a finger. “But after everything that happened, I… I was ready for a change. I’m writing an adventure, branching out.”

Steve nodded, showing his understanding. He must have seen something in her eyes, or maybe her body, before he looked around the street. “So,” he started, pointing at the city around them, “The one day I decide to go to a different restaurant from my usual, is the day that I see _you.”_

Kayla smiled. “I go out almost every day for lunch, sometimes a different café.” She shrugged. “Take a break from writing to draw instead.” She lifted the sketchbook on the table, giving another shrug. Rogers stared at the author, who smiled questionably. “What? Is it _that_ surprising that I draw? I _can_ be an author and do more than just write.”

Steve shook his head, looking away shyly. He moved his hand underneath the table, before pulling it out with something in his hand. It was a sketchbook. “It’s just, I go out to draw, too.”

The brunette grinned, excitement running through her at this new information. “Really? Sweet.” She let out a giggle as he shook his head. “So what do you draw then? Exotic cars? Landscapes? Fruit in a basket?”

He rose an eyebrow at the last one, but shook his head no. He opened the sketchbook in front of him, flipping to a drawing and showing it to her. It was good; the shading was perfect. It looked close to an actual picture, but colorless, so one could tell it was art. “Usually landscapes, I guess, or whatever comes to mind, what I’m thinking, what I see. But now, people, mostly.” The blonde tilted his head as he thought about it. “I used to want to draw illustrations for comic books, when I was a kid. But it never went anywhere.”

Kayla grinned. “Comic books.” She nodded her approval. “I draw people too, usually. It’s actually what I wanted to do in college, when _I_ was younger, but I decided I loved writing more.” Her grin grew as she met his blue eyes again. “Okay, would it be completely awkward and creepy if I asked to draw you? Over the line?”

She watched as Steve thought for a moment, before picking up his pencil and crossing a leg, using it to prop up his sketchbook. “Only if I didn’t draw you in return.”

Kayla took his moving pencil across the paper as an invitation and quickly snatched up her own. Steve Rogers was an artist. It was something she could relate to, something to have in common with _Captain America_. It was nice, as the two lapsed into silence, to draw _with_ someone.

_Okay,_ she thought, _maybe it is a little creepy. Drawing someone I barely know._ But that was it, she didn’t really _know_ anybody. Kayla didn’t really have any friends. Everyone she knew, _really_ knew, were either dead, or had disappeared. Jared, her father, passed when she was nineteen, Tessa not even a year ago, and recently, Coulson. And the ones who had disappeared, her first love, Richard, had vanished when she was twenty, and more recently, Thor, who had returned back to Asgard, and Clint, who she hadn’t seen in two weeks.

Kayla was forming his face, and started on his shoulders when she spoke up, breaking the silence. A social life couldn’t hurt. Maybe Steve wouldn’t be opposed to being her friend. She knew she needed them. “So, you seeing anybody?” She looked up when she asked, so he knew she was speaking to him and not to herself or anything. Kayla thought about the question herself. She knew he had been out of the ice for a while now, maybe he had started dating.

She didn’t miss the color rise to his cheeks, and she tried to keep the smile off of her face. Steve was leaning over the sketchbook some, the pad flat on the table. This was good, him not looking directly at her. It would give his face more shadows, and a softer look to the drawing. Like Captain America could do normal, average, human being, activities too. Well, however normal it was to awkwardly draw each other.

Kayla was about to change the subject, thinking he was uncomfortable, but the captain spoke up. He breathed out a puff of air, glancing up at her quickly for a detail, before returning to his work. He kind of looked like he wanted to talk about it, but what did she know? “Not really. I mean, I’ve been on a few dates, since I woke up. They were nice girls, but none of them worked out.”

“Not your type?” She looked back down, to draw down his arms, and she saw Steve shake his head in her peripherals. He seemed to build up some courage, before he continued. “I… I don’t know. It’s not like I have much experience with, uh, dating, I guess. Bucky was always better with women.”

Bucky. She didn’t know much about Bucky, except that he had been Rogers’ best friend in the forties, and that they had worked together in the army. Maybe Kayla would ask him about Bucky one day. The brunette shrugged, sketching out the parts of the soldier’s body that she could see over the table. She was feeling a little awkward with the subject. “You’ll get there, I guess.” Kayla let out a sigh. _But what do I know, right?_

“What about you and Barton?”

Kayla froze, her pencil making a small line on the sketch. After a few seconds of getting over the surprise of his name being said, she removed the pencil from the page, not wanting to ruin her drawing any further. She took a deep breath, before meeting Steve’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

Steve hesitated. She could see him thinking, as he took in her expression. There was a long moment of silence. “You two aren’t together.”

It wasn’t a question, more of a statement that the captain was just realizing his mistake by how she reacted. She answered anyways. “Nope,” she let the P pop at the end. “Haven’t even seen him since Thor went back to Asgard.” Kayla focused back on her drawing then, drawing the space around the soldier.

She watched through her lashes as Steve scratched his forehead, a look of confusion over his features. “I thought you two were…”

Kayla laughed, though it wasn’t out of humor. She didn’t want to think about Clint. “Change the subject?” She asked, and received a nod as he met her eyes. “Natasha.” She said simply, before adding, “Have you seen _her_ lately?”

Steve froze, his mouth falling open slightly. “I-I thought we were changing the subject from…”

The woman relaxed, looking at him with a small smile. “I was just thinking, since you’ve kind of been going on missions with S.H.I.E.L.D., right? I wanted to know if you were, I don’t know, working with the Black Widow.” Steve started to nod, looking a little embarrassed. Kayla couldn’t help teasing him, though. His reaction was too cute. “Okay, I was really wondering if you two were, you know…” She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Rogers scowled down at his sketchbook, his cheeks turning a shade of pink again. He rubbed a hand over his face in embarrassment. “Can we talk about something else?” Yeah, teasing Captain America was going to be fun.

“Sure,” the author let out a laugh. She leaned forward, glancing down at his drawing. “How’s the drawing coming?”

“No peeking,” Steve pulled the pad out of her sight, recovering from his embarrassment. Kayla rolled her eyes, smiling again. She mumbled, “fine then,” though she continued to smile. She returned to her drawing, sketching in some more of the details. The brunette wondered why she hadn’t talked to Steve before. She liked him. Well, not _liked_ liked him, but liked him enough that they could be friends. Really, as Captain America, the soldier, the Avenger, he was serious, confident, ready to lead an army. But now, as Steve Rogers, he was more easy-going, smiling, _blushing_ even, as the two sat together and talked about everyday life, enjoying each other’s company. He was easy to be around, easy to tease, easy to talk to. She didn’t need to fake a smile, or put up a mask around him.

“You know,” Kayla started, taking a moment to finish up the shadowing of the building she was working on before lifting her gaze up to the man across from her. “You’re not that bad, Rogers. I thought, during the battle, that you were just a soldier, looking for people to boss around. But now I know you’re kinda just like the rest of us. I know that you draw, and you’re _good_ at it, _and_ that you’re _not_ so good with woman.”

Kayla laughed as he shook his head humorously. He sobered then, looking apologetic. “You’re not who I thought you were either.” That was surprising. “I thought you were just a kid who didn’t know any better. Trying to fight your first war with no idea what you were doing. Trying to be somebody you’re not.” Kayla frowned, looking away. “I was wrong.”

The brunette met blue eyes, eyes that seemed to be saying so much more with his eyes than his mouth. She nodded. “It _was_ my first war, and I _didn’t_ know what I was doing. All I knew was that it was the right thing _to_ do. I couldn’t just stand there when I could be putting my share in.” She paused. “But I’m not a kid.”

“No. You’re just a woman trying to figure out her life.”

The two lapsed into silence as she thought over what he had said. In just those few words, she knew that Steve had looked at her in a completely new way, that he accepted her. “Thanks,” she said, before she continued to draw again. She paused, thinking over what he said again. Kayla raised her pencil, pointing the sharp end at him, then pointing at herself. “And for the record, we? Me and you? We’re _technically_ the same age. You’re like a year older than me. So if I’m a kid, you are too. Let’s just get _that_ straight.”

He smiled, before the two continued to draw. Kayla finished up the shading of her drawing, how the sun shone on Steve. As she looked it over, she realized that it was one of the best drawings she had done of anybody. She held up the pad, comparing it to the real thing sitting in front of her. Really, it was amazing. “Done.”

Steve glanced up, before saying, “Don’t move.”

Kayla grinned, setting down the sketchbook and moving back to her original position. As the blonde continued to draw, she relaxed. _I could do this every day,_ she thought. Just sitting and talking and getting to know somebody and drawing together.

Kayla flipped to the drawing before Steve, the drawing of Stark Tower. As the memory of the battle flashed through her mind, she thought about what Steve had said, about her having no idea what she was doing. She had almost died a dozen times, from when Campus had fallen, to the nuke almost hitting the city. Maybe she didn’t know what she was doing, but Coulson had believed in her, and that had been enough for Kayla.

Soon, Steve finished, and was looking his drawing over. Kayla grinned, swinging her legs out from under herself. Her converse flat on the floor, she reached over the table and handed Steve the drawing to look at. Kayla sat nervously as his blue eyes scanned the drawing, wondering if he liked it. On the page, he was completely focused, concentrating on the task at hand. Steve ran a hand though his hair, glancing up at the woman. “It’s…” He paused, and Kayla felt herself deflate some. But he continued, “I’ve never seen myself like this before.” At the look on his face, Kayla came to a decision. When he handed the sketchbook back, she pulled the drawing from the spine, handing the sketch back to him. “Here, keep it.”

Steve looked surprised, but took the drawing. He stared down at it for a few minutes, and she knew that he liked it. She wondered what he meant by never seeing himself like that before. Before she could ask, he was pulling his own drawing out of his sketchbook, glancing at it one last time before handing it over. “I really like this one, but you should have it.”

Kayla immediately lifted her hands away. “No, I can’t take it if you want to keep it, that’s just rude.”

But Steve insisted. “Take it, Husdon.” He smiled. “I can always draw another.”

She raised her eyebrows at that. _Did that mean…_ Yeah, they were totally going to hang out again. She reached out, taking the drawing softly while meeting his eyes. She smiled before getting her first glance at his work. The brunette immediately gaped. Even if it was in grays and whites, the drawing was amazing. He put in so much detail. She ran a hand over the features of the background, before following her fingers to herself, which took up most of the drawing. The beanie lying on her head, her long hair framing her face. How the sun played into the drawing, creating shadows and somehow making Kayla glow. The details were down to the dot, and she touched the page where her sleeve had fallen down and her bracelet showed.

Kayla met blue eyes, smiling. “Steve, this is amazing.” She couldn’t get over it. Sure, she drew all the time, just as good, but the drawing of herself was wonderful, catching details and bringing them to life. “I am framing this.” Rogers laughed, and Kayla met his eyes. “You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. I am putting this in a picture frame.”

Steve glanced away, another blush coloring his cheeks. She giggled as she slipped the drawing into her own sketchbook, before gathering her things up into her backpack. Rogers followed suit, and then the two were standing. Before she could change her mind, she was wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him. He barely had time to touch her shoulder in return before she was pulling away and grinning up at him. Maybe she had gained another friend. “Thank you. For talking, and the drawing. It was fun.”

Steve nodded, a smile on his lips. “I have to go to an appointment. But… we should have lunch together soon.”

“That’d be great.” Maybe she _had_ gained another friend.

oOo

Kayla smiled at the memory. Since then, she had had lunch with Steve once a week on Wednesdays. They didn’t talk much about the Battle, or the missions that he went on with S.H.I.E.L.D. They had exchanged addresses, once Kayla decided that she wanted to mail him some of her drawings. After that, they had been sending drawings to each other. She had drawn her apartment once, sending it over to him, and in return, Steve had drawn the gym he worked out in, which was where he had opened her drawing. She had sent him a drawing of her house in Pennsylvania, and one of him from the Battle. He was standing, shield lowered as he looked up to the sky. Steve sent back a drawing of Natasha, who was smiling down at a piece of paper. He said that he caught her where she didn’t know he was looking, happy about something, he had no idea. He mailed her another drawing, one of his friend Bucky back from the forties. And another from the museum that he visited of him. They were telling stories to each other through drawings, and it was a remarkable experience with a close friend. They were learning more and more about each other, trusting, building a friendship. It was awesome, earning a new friend after so much.

During their exchanges, she got inspiration for her book. It was really coming along. She wrote her story; the characters developing as the story went, learning new things and such, just like she was. The author sent off the chapters to her editor, exchanging a few words on how her writing was coming, and hoped that she’d finish it soon.

After the first month, Kayla had found a new thing to take up her day, though she got frustrated tons and ending up tossing her room around once. It was a fluke, a one-time thing that she couldn’t repeat. She had run into Steve out on a jog, who was heading to the gym he went to that S.H.I.E.L.D. provided somehow; she didn’t know. She tagged along, and watched as he took out punching bag after punching bag. She was at first drawing, finding herself sketching a bow, idly flicking a shard into her hand, then making it disappear, and repeat. It was a habit that she picked up. A few minutes later, she found that the weight in her hand had shifted, and to her surprised, the shard in her hand had changed shape. It wasn’t a shard anymore, but more of an oval. She was so startled that she made it disappear, before jumping up and trying to make her shard change shape again.

Since then, Kayla would try to morph her shards into different shapes, but failed every time. This resulting in destroying her room, out of frustration. The floor below hers complained about the noise.

She didn’t know how she did it, or even that she _could_ do it; and that upset her. This was her body, her powers, and she didn’t even know her full extent? _Why can’t I figure this out?_ The author spent her drawing and writing time trying new things that could trigger her shard shapes. She tried watching wrestling matches on TV, zoning out, thinking that the same environment as before would trigger the change in her shards. Then she simply surfed the channels, trying to zone out still, because she thought that had caused the change. Nothing worked.

oOo

The two were at the gym again. Steve had offered to teach her a few things. That day, they sparred. Cap was teaching her hand-to-hand combat, the way he learned it in the army, and what he was learning from Natasha. Kayla wanted to learn how to immobilize somebody, like a Vulcan nerve-pinch or something, so she wouldn’t have to kill someone again. And Cap was a good teacher, patient, and worked on her terms.

They moved slow at first, their punches and swings gentle. Well, Rogers had to be gentle anyways, with the super strength and everything. _She_ didn’t want to be immobilized. They showed each other their fighting techniques, how they would move, and slowly learned to match the other. Once they were comfortable with the sparring, the two got lost in the fight.

During practice, she accidently let a shard fly, nicking Steve in the arm. She froze, as the two stared at his arm, though he started to heal right before their eyes. The incident caused the two to stop and stare, though for Kayla, it was the onslaught of memories that hit her hard. She had done the same thing to Clint, nicking him with a shard while they sparred. This caused her to think about the first time they had met, the two talking on her rooftop, the time she had almost kissed the archer, and the time that she actually did. She thought about all the times they had been together, when he gave her his bracelet, and when they fought together during the Battle.

Kayla was filled with so many emotions, anger and pain, love and worry. She realized then how much she missed Clint Barton. A month and eight days ago, he had kissed her not-goodbye. A month and eight days ago, she knew that he felt the same way, and yet… He wasn’t even there. No phone calls, no surprise visits, no postcards or letters. Nothing.

And it just made her angry. “I’m sorry, Cap,” Kayla said as she snapped out of her thoughts. The brunette ran her hands through her hair, turning around briefly, before looking back at the super soldier. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, it just… happened.” She was still flooded with emotions, though she didn’t let them show. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Kayla.” Steve moved, walking towards a bench to grab a towel. He wiped it across his arm, collecting the blood from his skin. “Look, I’m already healed. It was just a scratch anyways. It’s fine.”

Kayla stared at him again. She needed to unwind. “Do you want to get a drink?”

And that’s how they ended up at a bar at nine o’clock at night. Even if Captain America couldn’t get drunk, he could still play pool and throw darts. So that’s what she did; Kayla taught the soldier how to play pool, the right way, and an hour and a few drinks later, he was practically a natural. Then they moved on to darts, and that was where she beat him. Training with Hawkeye, one learned a few things.

She blamed it on the booze.

A few folk in the bar recognized Captain America, and he got a few pats and thanks. Soon enough they had gathered a crowd, enjoying the company with complete strangers, laughing, and telling stories. She didn’t know if that was why she did it, or if she was sticking to her original story and blaming it on the alcohol.

They had made a few drinking buddies, and Steve was finally letting loose a little, when she let a shard fly, getting a bullseye on the dart board. The bar immediately went silent, apart from the music through the speakers. Kayla immediately realized her mistake, and she froze, sobering a little. The shard caught the attention of everyone in the bar, the pink glow standing out as it sat pierced in the board. She felt multiple pairs of eyes burning into her as she glanced around.

Then, without warning, the bar erupted into cheers and laughter. The author deflated with relief then, realizing that the bar was full of drunks, and probably wouldn’t even remember the night. Though, no one freaked out, or called her a freak. It was like they were accepting her. And maybe, after an alien invasion, they would accept anyone with powers willing to give a hand. So she let another shard fly, though she hit on the outside of the target, which caused the crowd to laugh harder and cheer even louder.

So she talked to a few people, telling them that she was Shard, one of the Avengers who fought in New York, and a few of them recognized her. Steve was off talking to a few men, who were in the army, a beer in his hand.

After plenty of mingling, a loud shout caught her attention, and Kayla turned. Two men were yelling at each other, less than a foot between them, throwing insults and accusations. They started pushing at each other, their voices rising even more. She cast a glance at the bartender, but it didn’t look like he was stepping in, or even phased by it. And Steve, the righteous man that he was, started forward. Kayla reached a hand out as he got closer. “Steve,” she shook her head, but he squeezed her hand and tried to break up the fight.

And that was how they got kicked out of a bar at midnight, not a mark on Steve. He broke up the fight, and a few of the drunks waved goodbye, and the bartender thought all the excitement was enough for the night. Kayla had made sure to grab her shards on the way, counting the six she knew she threw. She was a little hazy from the alcohol, so Steve walked her home, the gentleman, and they parted ways with an apology for the night on her part, and a hug on his.

The next morning, she got a call from Bruce Banner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce is the next chapter, and that one is a little confusing as well, but I'll explain it next Wednesday. I hope you enjoyed!


	14. Green Men, Green Eyes, Green Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to firstly apologize for the late update. Last week was hectic, and finals were thrown at me. Secondly, I wasn't sure about the ending of this chapter, and was conflicted on how it turned out. I wasn't sure if it was right, you know? And it may be a little confusing, so again, sorry.

“Bruce, hey,” Kayla said as she got closer. The man’s head snapped up, and a small smile touched his lips when he saw her approach. He reached his hand out, and she shook it. Two months after the invasion and it was the first she had seen of the doctor. “Sick of Tony yet?”

The man let out a laugh, before pulling the coat around himself more snugly. “How’d you know?” He gestured forward, and the two entered the small coffee shop where they decided to meet. It was homey, with not a whole lot of customers, but from past experience, their beverages were good. The woman behind the counter seemed to recognize the doctor, and he ordered the usual, where Kayla asked for hot chocolate.

Bruce paid, raising an eyebrow in her direction as she shifted next to him. She pulled her beanie further down to cover her ears more, deciding to just ask what was on her mind. “You were really vague on the phone, yesterday. Is everything okay?”

The barista gave them their drinks and the two made their way over to a small booth by the window. Kayla pulled her legs up underneath her to sit crisscross-applesauce style, wrapping her hands around her foam cup. Bruce laid his coat across his lap, and smiled at her over the rim of his cup. “Everything’s fine,” he reassured, taking a sip of his liquid. “I asked you to come, because, uh, because of you?”

Kayla frowned, searching his brown eyes. The author thought for a moment, taking a sip of her own drink. She leaned forward a little, confused as she tapped her fingers against the cup in her hand. “Me?” She asked. “What about me?”

Bruce wrung his hands together. “The captain told me about your problem…” the man trailed off, then seemed to think better of his wording when her eyes narrowed. “About your… thing?”

_Okay, first of all,_ she thought, _Steve’s been talking about me? And second of all… what?_ A flash of shock shot through her body as she thought about the possibilities. Had Steve been sharing with the doctor about her nightmares? The only reason she had told Steve about them was because Kayla had been drawing more from the battle, and the things she had been drawing hadn’t exactly happened. Steve was the only one who looked at her drawings so far, besides herself. She didn’t really feel comfortable discussing the nightmares, even with a friend. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Steve told me about your, uh, shards, and how they changed shape? He told me because he thought I could help, look into it, not just for no reason, or anything.” Bruce fidgeted, looking out the window, down at his foam cup, anywhere but at her. “I thought I could, uh, help. I think you’re powers, they’re developing, or, maybe your body is finally realizing that you _can_ do more with your shards, I don’t know, but…” The man shrugged, his brown eyes flickering up to meet hers.

Kayla let herself have a moment of relief. So he didn’t know about the nightmares, which was good, she figured. She wasn’t ready to talk about them, even with friends. She wouldn’t know what to say if he brought it up, what he would say. She just… she wasn’t ready to even think about them herself, let alone talk about them with someone else. A few seconds later, she found herself staring at the man - as he continued to talk, thankfully not about her nightmares - who was wearing a black button up shirt, and a pair of jeans. His glasses were hooked in his shirt pocket. His hair was a little shorter, less curly. He looked nervous, unsure. “Steve said that you were watching television, and working out at the gym with him.” Bruce shrugged again, now seeming a little embarrassed. “I thought, maybe I could teach you something. A different… method. A focus.”

“Focus,” she said, dragging the word out, because she wasn’t sure if she was hearing him right, but then again, she did. She had been trying to figure out what had happened with the oval shard, trying to replicate the same situation, but she never seemed to get it right. Was he asking to help with that? She wasn’t going to turn down the help. But why? Did he think he owed her something? “On what?”

He let out a long sigh before looking back up to give Kayla an even stare. And then, as he said his next words, his eyes flashed vibrant green. “Control.”

And that was how she ended up in a cabin in the middle of the woods, alone, with only Bruce Banner as company.

It wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Sure, she was kind of freaked out at first, when she realized that Bruce could turn into the Hulk in the blink of an eye, spontaneously, maybe even break a few things. She got over it. Kayla remembered that during the battle, the Hulk had been harmless to his teammates, though she had noticed some hostility with Thor, probably due to the incident on the Helicarrier. And the big guy had even looked down at her, touching her with a finger. Almost like he _cared._ So, the isolation didn’t seem so bad.

At first.

When she had her first sip of the green tea Bruce made on the kettle, she thought otherwise.

_Control, apparently,_ she thought, _meant becoming a Buddhist and meditating for hours._

As she had packed her bag days before, she had a brief flash of the past. Kayla was reminded of the trips she had been on for her novels, with Tessa. She let herself think about the perky assistant for a minute before finishing and heading out. It was nice, after so long, to think about her. After everything the author had been through, it was a nice change, to think about the happy moments of her life. After so long of trying to forget, maybe it was time to remember.

Bruce had rented a car, after telling her that Tony Stark tried pushing one of his onto the doctor. He declined. He said they wouldn’t be needing an exotic car where they were going. Kayla thought about what it was she was doing, going out to a cabin in the middle of the woods to learn how to meditate for better control. Hey, if Bruce Banner had done it to learn how to control the Hulk, she could do it to learn a few tricks with her shards.

Over the course of the two weeks, the two sat on the hardwood floor facing each other, just breathing in the silence. Meditation took a lot more work than she had originally thought it would. The first day they arrived at the cabin, they got right down to it, Bruce explaining what to do, and how to breathe.

One day, after they had drunk their tea, Kayla found herself thinking it over. She wanted it to work, to be able to change the shape of her shards so that she could evolve and improve. It had only been a few days, and she hadn’t felt any different, not really. Was it even working?

“You’re thinking,” Bruce’s voice was loud to her ears, which were so used to nothing but the sound of their breathing. Even at a whisper, she startled, her eyes snapping open as she inhaled sharply. The doctor’s eyes were closed, and he had his hands relaxed on his thighs, looking like the perfect Zen master he was. _How do_ you _know?_ She thought. Kayla found herself sticking her tongue out at him and half glaring at him, the frustration causing her to become childish. Bruce laughed, a small grin on his lips, though he never opened his eyes to see what she did, and Kayla sat up straight. He hadn’t even looked at her. She let out a sigh, before closing her eyes again and getting back to it.

It went like that for days, until one day, something changed. She had been at it for hours, breathing and clearing her mind. Kayla couldn’t explain it, not in the words that she wanted to use. But she felt… whole, safe, wrapped up in a warmth she never wanted to leave. She didn’t think, didn’t let her focus wane.  As she breathed out, she moved, imagining an orb of pink, before flicking her wrist forward and letting a shard fall into her palm. She kept her eyes closed, feeling the smooth surface in her hand.

Kayla was changing objects, trying to shape the shard, when the sensation of falling hit her. Something smacked against her forehead, causing her breathing to stutter. Everything came rushing back, her thoughts washed over her, and the sounds of her breathing filled the air. She lost that wholeness, that feeling of _it._ Kayla opened her eyes as she came back to herself. Kayla was sitting on the floor of the cabin, the sun hidden behind the clouds, though still lighting up the room. She remembered her objective, of trying to develop her abilities. _What happened?_ She had time to think before she was looking around, noticing Bruce sitting across from her, looking guilty. The author’s eyes landed on the small piece of paper that was crumbled up on the floor in front of her. Her eyes flicked back up to the doctor as she put the pieces together.

“Did you throw a piece of paper at me?” He looked guilty, not even meeting her eyes as he fidgeted with his glasses in his hands. His brown eyes flickered up to her face, and when she met his eyes briefly, she sighed. “But, I had it! I was there, I’m sure of it!” Kayla clenched her hands into fists in frustration - only to realize that they were full. She cast her eyes down, and felt herself start to smile. In her right hand, there was a ball of glowing pink lying in the middle of her palm. In her left was another. “Look, I did it!”

Banner moved, pushing himself up off of the ground. He looked uncomfortable. “If a piece of paper was enough to get you out of the trance…” He trailed off, pointing down at her with his glasses before making up his mind and turning. “You should try again.”

Kayla set the two orbs down on the ground, before picking up the piece of paper and chucking it across the room. It hit Bruce’s back, though he only turned quickly to look at her in response. “I had it, Bruce!” She raised her voice as he crossed the cabin, shaking his head, amused.

_Come on,_ she thought as she closed her eyes, trying to get back to that state. A few minutes passed, before she huffed out a breath and threw herself flat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Kayla let out a little scream of frustration.

The author rolled over onto her stomach, picking up the two small orbs of pink. She put them on the floor, and rested her head on one of her hands. She stared at them a moment, then put a finger out, pushing the little ball an inch across the floor before rolling it back close to her. After her little rant of frustration, she realized what she had accomplished, and smiled at her success.

She was one step closer.

oOo

Some days, Bruce would let her meditate on her own, to see if that helped. He would move into the small kitchen, where he had brought some of his research and had it laid out on the table and counter. The man would work, but she never asked what about, leaving him to his work in peace. And where he wasn’t doing research, Kayla found out that the man could cook. And he cooked well. They were simple dishes, like soup, or pasta, but the seasonings were fantastic. He was a better cook than she could ever be.

They ate spaghetti and sauce, and the sauce was amazing. While she ate, the memory of a few days before flickered in the back of her mind. Bruce showed her his control, to show that it could happen, that she just needed to keep trying. His eyes snapped open, glowing a bright green as he stared at her for a few moments, before blinking and his eyes turned back to Bruce’s brown.

“Have you ever,” Kayla paused as the memory faded and a question surfaced, pushing the noodles around in her bowl. She didn’t know if she was overstepping her boundaries, or if it was too personal of a question. Or if it would aggravate the doctor, or even the other guy. The woman glanced up at him anyway. “Just, talked to him?”

The silence was frustrating. Kayla had no idea what he was thinking as he stared at his own bowl, if she should just shut up and change the subject, but it had been bugging her. Years ago, she had heard what had happened in Harlem, yet she still questioned why everyone thought that the Hulk was a monster. Yeah, he was pretty big, and could crush things like they were paper. But, standing next to him in New York, she couldn’t see it. She had looked him right in the eye, she hadn’t seen a threat, or a mindless beast. And Bruce Banner was sitting in front of her. She just didn’t see it.

“You don’t have to answer that, I’ll just-” Kayla gestured to her bowl, trying to shrink by hunching over her bowl. “Just pretend I didn’t say anything, yeah?”

And so she changed the subject.

The days went by slow. When they weren’t sitting across from each other in silence, they would sit across from each other with a chess board between them. Bruce taught her how to play chess, though he admitted to not having played in years. It was strange. Contradicting. Where they meditated, he said to clear her mind, to push all of the thoughts and feelings away. But playing chess, they did the exact opposite. She had to think about her next moves, how that move could affect the rest of the game, what not to do, and so on. And during those matches, where she lost every time, she learned small things about him, little by little.

The two seemed to understand each other, like Kayla had thought the day they had first met on the Helicarrier. They had both experienced isolation, and were awkward around people they didn’t know, or too many people in general. And Bruce had known, when Kayla had been the one asking _him_ a question, he had known. Again in the lab, when Stark had been accusing her of working with S.H.I.E.L.D., he had known that she was working with them for a whole different reason, even when she hadn’t even said it out loud yet. And the same went for her, Kayla understanding the doctor, how he remained isolated to protect the world from Hulk. That he felt like a freak, that he knew what it felt like to strike fear in others eyes, because _she_ knew what it felt like, too. To be looked at like she was a monster, a killer; she knew what it felt like to take an innocent life. Kayla had taken a life, when, in the beginning, she couldn’t control her powers. That was how they understood each other, both having been through similar experiences, suffered through the unforgettable moments in their lives.

Was that why he was helping her? Because he understood her, as she did him? Was that small connection was enough?

The woman had had the thought ever since she saw the green eyes, that maybe, Bruce and the Hulk could communicate, in that state. What if, because of that connection that her and Bruce shared, was the reason why Hulk hadn’t reacted to her violently? From what she understood, Bruce would black out from his time as the Hulk. But since he could control when he shifted, could he now talk to Hulk, too?

oOo

Kayla had found it. She’d found that place again, where she felt whole, where her body could meld with mind. That cocoon of togetherness.

And then it just clicked.

She was in that state for a good ten minutes, where she was finally able to open her eyes, focus back to reality, and call a shard to her hand. The author held the odd shaped shard in her hand, and grinned up at Bruce where he sat across from her. “I think I got it.”

The doctor grinned back. “So. It worked.” With a nod from Kayla, he let out a deep breath. “Congratulations. So we can head back to Manhattan now?”

Kayla let out a laugh as Bruce started to get up. But before he could move anymore, she reached out and grabbed his hand. He froze, and she squeezed his fingers, letting her smile grow. “Thank you, Bruce. You don’t know how much this means to me, to be able to do this. I owe you, big time.”

With a smile, Bruce squeezed her hand back. “You don’t owe me anything.” He opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off as a sound echoed throughout the room. Kayla immediately gripped the shard in her hand as the door of the cabin swung open. The author hid her shard under her thigh when she realized that the two woman standing in the doorway were the owners who rented the cabin to her and Bruce.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” The first woman exclaimed, raising a hand to her chest. The older woman looked to the younger, who Kayla remembered was her daughter. Before she turned back and took in the scene in front of her, her brown eyes going wide. “We must have come to the wrong cabin, I apologize.”

Kayla looked at Bruce, who looked a little shocked. The author finally realized what the woman looked so worked up about. She released the scientist’s hand, moving back a few inches, feeling her face heat up at the assumption.

Bruce nodded before finding his words. “It’s fine, um, we’re leaving today anyways.”  Bruce nodded, as if to himself. “We’ll check out at the front desk?”

“Oh, take as long as you two need, dear,” the woman said, moving to shut the door.

When the door was shut, and the cabin was filled with silence once again, Kayla found herself laughing. She was a little embarrassed, but also found the whole situation humorous. She could see what the woman had assumed. Bruce had a gray button up on, only it wasn’t buttoned at all, and was hanging open, half of his torso showing. His hair was a little more wild than usual, probably because he had been running his hands through his hair, and she didn’t even want to know how she looked. “Did she just imply that we were a couple?”

Bruce looked startled, before moving his hands to his shirt self-consciously. He had the deer-in-the-headlights look, as the silence stretched on.

Kayla laughed until she couldn’t breathe.

oOo

When the pair returned to Manhattan, Kayla found that she could now do so much more with her shards than she had first thought as she left the cabin. And it wasn’t just her shards, but the dome that emanated around her. She could change the shape of her shards – if they could still be considered shards - from circular discs to cylinder rods. She spent the second day back in her apartment fooling around, finding new things to do with her powers. Her shield was easy to manipulate, now that she had the right focus. Kayla could warp the pink dome, manipulating it to form around her body, like a second layer of skin so that it would protect her around her form.

Kayla found herself going to the gym the second night, hoping that it was unlocked. It was, with Steve Rogers in the gym himself. She grinned as he spun around from his punching bag. His blue eyes widened when he saw her, but then he relaxed and smiled. “Kayla. You’re back.”

“That I am,” she says with a grin, before tossing her bag off to a bench and bouncing on her heels. “And it worked.” The two grinned at each other, and she knew that Steve was happy for her. And as she started to tell her friend about the past two and a half weeks, she realized that this… this is what she had always wanted, what she had been looking for since Norway; to belong.

oOo

That night, Kayla dreamed.

It was different this time, the nightmare. The Chitauri was lifting her head off of the pavement, but before the impact of her head connecting with the ground, the weight of the alien was lifted. Kayla let out a gasp as she could move her legs again, and the panic faded. She took shaky breaths as she sat up, leaned back on her hands, and finally got a good look around. The Chitauri lay a few feet away, a spear of some kind through its chest. The scene around her was fuzzy, a twenty foot radius of the ground around her, and then slowly blurring into black. Like a light only shown in that area.

There was a man, pulling the spear out of the alien before tossing it aside and turning to her. She couldn’t quite focus on him yet, only on the hazel of his eyes. They seemed to glow almost bronze.

“You…” she trailed off, swallowing and gulping in fresh air. “You saved me.” The nightmare usually ended in the Chitauri slamming her head into the pavement over and over again, and continued from there. But she was so startled, that those were the only words she could say.

“Yeah,” the man said, looking disgusted down at the alien. Her eyes finally focused, taking him in. He was wearing a gray utility coat, with a black t shirt underneath, a pair of jeans and brown boots. His hair was dark brown, cut shorter on the sides and back, and the slightly longer hair in the front spiked up in every direction. His features were… not familiar, but something like looking through an old yearbook from grade school, and not quite remembering someone that had attended that school since kindergarten. The man looked down at the body of the alien one last time, looking repulsed. “Yeah, I’ve had enough of that.”

He moved, taking a step towards her and offering his hand. Kayla glanced at his appendage, before meeting his gaze and grabbing onto his wrist, letting him pull her up. As soon as she was standing, she realized what was wrong with what was happening. It wasn’t her outfit, which she had worn during the battle. It wasn’t the radius of light that faded about twenty feet away. It wasn’t that the nightmare had morphed itself from what originally happened.

It was him.

She had been having the same dreams over and over again, night after night, and they had never altered, not even the slightest. But now, there was an addition, an alteration to the nightmares. This man.

“This is… I’m still dreaming, but you’re-“ She cut herself off as she pointed at the man. Kayla wiped a hand across her cheek, to rub the dirt from her face. “Why didn’t I wake up instead?” She spun around, looking at the area around her, as if the demolished car a few feet away had the answers. “Why?”

Kayla’s gaze was on the yellow taxi, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Why had her dream changed?

“I’m still dreaming, right?” She spun around, finally looking back at the man. “Right?”

“Yeah, you know, I’m sorry to interrupt your amazingly pleasant dream,” the man paused, hitching a thumb over his shoulder, his voice sounding angry. “I’ll just, head out, leave you to it then.”

“Wait!” The man paused, and she found herself stepping forward, and arm stretched forward. She relaxed as he stayed, and the scene around them blurred. “I just- I want to understand.”

For the first time in those few moments, the man’s face softened. He had looked so serious and on a mission, but now… he looked as if he could allow himself to relax for a moment. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, but…” He trailed off, shaking his head and waving a hand in a closing-off gesture. And then his gaze landed on her, his golden hazel eyes locked with hers, as a look of contentment flashed across his face. “Take care.”

And then she was waking up, the scene blurring until Kayla jolted up in her bed, her breaths quick and unsteady. “What the _hell_ ,” was what came out of her mouth the moment she could speak.

“What was that?” Kayla asked herself as she tried to recollect her thoughts from her time asleep. She just didn’t understand, if that was really a dream, if it had to do with her having stopped drinking the tea she had had for two weeks straight. It didn’t make any sense, how a recurring nightmare could all of a sudden change; there had to be something behind it. She had never seen the man before, completely unprepared for it - all of it was just freaking her out.

The thoughts continued to rush through her as she stood up from her bed. As the author started moving around her apartment to get ready for the day, the only thing she could think about was _who is he?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, two more things.
> 
> One, I wanted to know if any of you wanted anything cleared up. Like, if something is confusing or there isn't enough information about it for you? I am wondering if I should add in more flashbacks or something to clear anything up. So if you had something you were wondering about Kayla's past, maybe I'll get that shoved in for you.
> 
> Two, I was recently told about a song that reminded someone of Chapter 12, and of Blame it on Norway in general, and I wanted to share that with you all. Say Goodbye by Skillet, the acoustic version. Mostly about Kayla and Clint, and how they "said goodbye," and haven't seen each other in over three months. So, have fun with that :) I have kinda enjoyed listening to the song, though either acoustic or the original is fine.
> 
> Thank you everyone!


	15. Thursday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! :D  
> Apologies! I regret that I put you all through such a long wait, and am dearly sorry!   
> This chapter was kind of difficult for me, which is why it took so long, plus the fact that I haven’t been able to find time to type up what I have written. There’s a big action scene in this chapter, and I struggle with action. So it took me awhile, and I’m still not 100% happy about it, but I’m giving it to you anyways because I decided I was working too hard on it. This chapter is longer than my usual, only by 2k or so, and I felt like it was dragging. The next chapter, 16, is probably going to be shorter. I have a plan about 17, and was going to make it chapter 16 originally, but decided to just split 15 into 15 and 16.  
> Now, there’s a few things that I would like to mention. First, the Avengers: Age of Ultron scene where they all try to lift Thor’s hammer? I had an idea similar to that, but just decided to do something different so as not to copy it, and have all of them try to lift the hammer at different times or something.   
> Second, my action scenes are pretty terrible. They just are terrible, so I invested help from my twin to make it plausible, CherryMountain, check her out!  
> Third, I finally posted another image. It’s the bracelet that Clint gave Kayla, first mentioned in chapter 3, the flashback in 5, and where Kayla and Natasha discuss it again in 6. Days of Kayla is where I’m uploading all of the art that I’ll do, co-authored with CherryMountain. I have another drawing about halfway done that I’m finishing up and plan to put up soon as well.  
> Fourthly; Cameos! Yeah, two heroes and a villain mentioned.  
> I hope you enjoy and sorry again for the long wait!

She met Steve that Wednesday for their lunch. It was the day she found out about the soldier’s To-Do List.

Kayla had said she wished she had the Force – who didn’t? – so she didn’t have to get up to go get a straw that she had forgotten. She found herself staring at him for a good minute when he asked what the Force was. The next thing she knew, she was explaining the basics of the Star Wars movies, and he was pulling out a notebook and jotting something down. He had configured a list of movies and television shows that he should watch to catch up on current pop culture and cultural milestones. It was amazing, and it peeked Kayla’s interest.

So the author grinned, giving him suggestions, like to watch Star Wars, because she loved those movies, and Star Trek as well, because who wouldn’t? J. R. R. Tolkien was her third recommendation; to read the books and watch the movies.

And that’s how they ended up having Movie Day.

oOo

“Seriously, Steve. They’re good movies.”

“I believe you,” Steve said, rubbing a hand over his face. “Just, why do we have to watch them today?”

“Because,” she dragged the word out as she propped her feet up on the coffee table, and placed the popcorn bowl in her lap. Then she paused for dramatic effect. “It’s Thursday.” She looked at him like that explained everything.

“What’s so special about Thursdays?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug and a grin, although it came out more like, “Iuano.” Her grin grew when Steve’s eyebrows hitched high, seeing her teasing expression. Kayla waited until the soldier sat down next to her, and then she gave him the case for the movie so he could look at the cover. Kayla watched his facial expressions, so excited that she was waiting for her excitement to rub off of him. The brunette finally had a chance to introduce something to Steve, to introduce these movies to him the same way he had taught her some combat skills. But, it was also because he was Captain America, and Kayla felt honored to be the one to give Cap this new information. “Okay, so here’s what happened. There are six movies. The first movie came out in ’77, but it’s called Episode IV. They did this whole thing where they made three movies, and then decided to make three more, but put the timeline before the first three, so the first three looked like the last three, but are really the first three. Still with me Steve?”

She quickly glanced at the captain. He looked at her, his mouth falling open. “Wait, wh-”

“Okay, good. I’ll answer any questions you have, promise, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll just tell you that the first three are based on this guy, Luke Skywalker, and his friends, and how they basically win the war, and the last three lead up to the first three. Got it?”

Steve lets out a breath and sinks into the sofa. He turned his body to the TV, and nodded, his blinking looking like he just walked out of a fog. “Yeah, sure, I guess.” Kayla grinned and hit play.

They just finished the scene where Princess Leia was chatting with R2-D2 on the Death Star when there was a knock on her door. Kayla threw her head back on the couch to look to the door upside down, though the wood gave her no hints as to who it was. There had been no buzzer from the main door, so it must have been somebody who lived in the building.

The author set the bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table before standing up. “Do you want to pause it?” Steve asked from his spot on the couch, but she waved her hand.

“Nah, just keep playing.” She turned her focus to the door. “I’ll be right back.”

As she made her way over to the door, she questioned who it could be. Mr. White, who lived a floor down? He was the only person who complained about all of the noise the attendants made. The day that Kayla had gotten so frustrated with her powers, and she started tossing the room around, throwing whatever she could get her hands on - Mr. White had climbed the stairs and knocked on her door, giving her the evil eye when she opened the door. The woman had plastered on a false smile and told him that she had no idea what he was talking about, she hadn’t been making any noise, and watched as Mr. White narrowed his eyes at her and left.

Kayla opened the door as she reached the threshold, and immediately froze when she saw who it was on the other side.

Thor’s lips moved into a grin as his eyes landed on her, and all Kayla could do was blink in shock. The blond rose his arms in greeting and glee. “Lady Kayla! I am delighted to have finally found you!” The Asgardian looked different from the last time she had seen him. He looked happy and comfortable, which was completely the opposite from when they had battled the Chitauri.

Now that the team could be themselves, Kayla could see the real them, without having to deal with the threat of an alien race on their shoulders. Along with how his facial appearance differed, his attire was also different. Half of his hair was pulled back with a few strands hanging loose, like that was how he tied it back on Asgard. He was wearing what looked similar to a cardigan, but it was black, and with closer inspection, completely Asgardian. There were intricate details of swirls and designs across the cloth, which were hard to see from a distance. The rest of his outfit looked to be clothes from Earth; a pair of jeans, boots, and a white t-shirt. Kayla blinked again as she looked back up to meet his gaze, before finally coming out of her surprise of seeing him.

“Thor.” Her eyes finally moved from him, the shock of seeing him slowly wearing off. Then, her gaze moved to another body, who had been a small shadow compared to the god. Jane Foster stood to the right, behind Thor’s shoulder. With brown hair, and brown eyes set in a petite face, she was strangely striking. She was wearing a tan peacoat and a gray scarf over a red t-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans, and riding boots. It was the first time Kayla had really gotten a good look at the astrophysicist. The author had seen the small photo that was in the file of what happened in New Mexico that Clint had showed her, but it had only been a small glimpse. The woman seemed… normal. Normal was good.

Kayla’s gaze shifted back to the god, and she spoke again. “You’re back.”

“I am.” His blue eyes glanced to Jane, who gave an apologetic smile. “I was visiting Jane and Darcy. They gave me counsel, in that I should visit you, since you are also my friend. I am told visiting is respectable, when one is ‘in the area.’”

“Sorry,” Jane spoke up at last, still looking apologetic. “He mentioned you, and Darcy mentioned stopping by, and I didn’t really know where you lived? But I got the address, only to find out we didn’t know which floor or room number you were on, and I didn’t have a last name either. Somebody,” she paused, her thumb hooking over her shoulder, “buzzed us in, and then we just knocked on the first door, asking for you.”

“Oh, okay, that’s fine,” Kayla grinned up at Thor. “Come in.”

The god moved, wrapping his arms around her briefly before walking into her living room, which was about fifteen paces from the door. When he moved to the couch, he bellowed out, “Captain!” Kayla watched as Steve stood from the couch and held his hand out to the god. They exchanged words, though they were too far away and the TV was still on, so she couldn’t hear. But, she watched as Steve’s eyes widened as Thor gripped his hand. She laughed as she turned back to the door. Jane was still standing there. Kayla pointed towards the couch and the men behind her. “Do you want to come in?”

The physicist shook her head.  “No, I’m really just dropping him off. I have to get to a meeting.” She began to search through her bag as she continued talking. “Um, I should give you my number, in case he… needs a ride, or something.” Her eyes narrowed as she let out a sigh. “God, I feel like I’m leaving my dog here for you to babysit for the weekend.”

Laughter filled Kayla, and she couldn’t help the sound that escaped her lips. It _was_ absurd, like Thor _did_ need to be looked after on Earth, and also a little awkward. But, Kayla would be happy to “look after Thor.” She watched as the astrophysicist shook her head with a small smile, and then slipped her phone out of her pocket. The two woman exchanged numbers, and then Jane looked back into her apartment with one last glance, smiling at Thor as he talked with Steve. The two women nodded, and then she left, leaving Kayla to turn around and smile at the two men.

The author shut the door and started to walk back to the living room, only to stop and turn around when the door closed only about half way, before swinging open again. She stepped closer, and looked to see what was stopping it from shutting, only to see the shape of Mjolnir on the floor. Thor must have set it down when he gave her a brief hug, and then walked away without it.

Kayla glanced quickly at Thor before rolling her eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. _Men_. She reached forward, wrapping her hand around the string at the end of the handle of the hammer to bring it inside – only, it didn’t budge, and her fingers slipped right out of it. She stumbled a step, surprised, before shooting a glare down at it. The pieces clicked together as she reached forward, but she stopped herself. Kayla felt her face heat up as she pointed at the object with a finger. _Oh no,_ she thought to it, _you won’t fool me, nope, I will_ not _try picking you up._

She had picked up a book on Norse mythology shortly after the battle, to learn more about the Asgardians, to learn more about what Thor _hadn’t_ told her on the Helicarrier. As the author glared down at the object, she remembered that Thor was possibly the only one worthy enough to lift the hammer, the only one worthy enough to wield its power.

Kayla had barely touched it before, and she didn’t want to try lifting it. It wasn’t worth it, to find out from a hammer that she wasn’t _worthy_. Before she could think about it further and disappoint herself, she turned back to the room, taking a step to the side. Thor and Steve sat on either ends of the couch, the back of their heads in view. But she got a glimpse of Thor’s face as he turned towards Steve; the god looked happy.

“Thor,” she called out to grab his attention. _Why did he even bring the thing with him,_ she thought. When the large man turned, she lifted her hand and pointed down at his hammer that was effectively blocking the door from closing. “You left Mjolnir over here.”

In response, he lifted his hand high over the couch, and the weapon shot across the air into the palm of his outstretched hand, before he set it down by his feet in front of him. Kayla sent another glare in the direction of the hammer before she shut the door and moved back to the couch. She took a seat on the arm of the chair so that she could look at both men at once.

“So, what are you doing here?” Steve was the one to ask, as he glanced at Kayla briefly.

Thor raised his hand. “I came to visit my friend Kayla. Darcy questioned if I had gained friends beyond her and Jane, and she came to mind.” Thor’s blue eyes moved to her. “I believe, after we conversed on the flying vessel, we now carry a bond of friendship.”

Kayla grinned at him, feeling her heart warm. But before she could respond, Steve spoke again. “That’s… nice, yeah. But, I meant, what are you doing here, back on Earth? I thought you… didn’t have a way back here.”

Thor tilted his head to the side, a small frown on his lips. “It is true, that the bridge to the other realms has been destroyed, but…” Thor paused, his eyebrows pinching together. “My brother, he has found several ways to cross realms.” Then, he turned back to Steve. “Still, I am only here on Midgard for the company of my friends. Is that wrong of me?”

“No, no,” Steve looked startled, raising his hands out reassuringly.

“No, Thor,” Kayla grabs both men’s attention. “What Steve’s trying to point out, I think, is that the last time you were here, we were fighting off an alien invasion.” The woman shrugged.

There was a pause as Thor nodded, looking like he was trying hard to understand, or maybe even figure out what Steve was saying. Then Steve shifted, getting to his point. “Aren’t you a prince, on Asgard I mean? Don’t you have… duties?”

The god nodded. “They have been prolonged until I return. My concerns have been divided.” The room was filled with a short silence as the two from Earth listened to the god. “Since my first arrival on Midgard, I have felt… a connection to your people. Midgard is as much my home as Asgard. As long as I bare my name, I will fight along with you to protect your world.”

“Our world,” Kayla found herself correcting immediately. The two smiled at each other, and Kayla had a moment to feel glad. Back in May, Thor could have come to Earth to retrieve the Tesseract, and then travel back to Asgard and never return. But instead, Thor thought of them as practically family, and would protect them all like it was his home, too. “Thank you.”

There was a moment of silence as Kayla let herself think about how happy that made her, and made her feel like she belonged.

Then, Thor smiled, excited. “I would like to partake in your activities this day, if you will have me. I am eager to learn more of Midgard.”

“Of course!” Kayla stood, sending a grin his way, and placed her hands on her hips. “Do you know what a movie is? Do you even have TVs on Asgard?”

After Kayla gestured to the TV, Thor lit up in understanding. “Yes! Jane has one where she resides! Lady Darcy and I were watching something called _Ancient Aliens._ It was… confusing, but I enjoyed it.”

Kayla had a moment of disbelief as she closed her eyes. She did a mental face-palm, as she thought about all of the things wrong with that. The brunette decided not to say anything about the ridiculousness of that show, and instead focused back on the subject on hand. “Okay, well, we’re watching a movie, because Steve hasn’t had the chance to watch them. They’re fiction, science fantasy, which means they didn’t happen in real life. This guy, George Lucas, had this idea…” Kayla sat down on the couch between the two men and began to explain the basics of the movies. After she was sure that Thor understood – at least some of it – Kayla grabbed the popcorn bowl and they begin to watch where they left off.

Thor filled the room with comments and questions throughout the film, which, usually, Kayla was one of those people who got irritated when people talked during a movie, but she found that, with Thor, she didn’t mind. He was too joyful and adorable, and it was hard to get angry at him. The comments were accepted and encouraged, though they tried to whisper for Steve’s benefit.

The scene where Luke and Old Ben encounter each other in the desert of Tatooine was interrupted with a wail of sirens. The god immediately pulled his hammer into his hand, but before he could rise, Kayla laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“What is that sound?” The god asked, frantically looking to the window as if a giant monster were about to swoop in and tear them all apart with its teeth.

“They’re sirens,” Kayla explained, trying to keep her voice soft and reassuring. “It’s just the police, doing their jobs.” Kayla noticed Steve, who was leaning forward on the couch, looked tense as well. “Its fine, it happens all the time in this part of the city,” she said, looking from one man to the other. “Traffic violations and all of that.”

Steve nodded, and Thor had finally, though reluctantly, released his hammer. And just as they began to settle back down after a long tense moment, the sirens were joined by screams. The hairs on Kayla’s arms and the back of her neck rose at the sound, causing her whole body to shiver. “Okay, _that_ doesn’t happen all the time.”

All three stood at the sound, Thor lifting his hammer, and Steve moving over to the window. Kayla felt herself tense up. All three of them shifted from relaxed to cautious, getting ready for a fight, even as Kayla began to tell herself that it was going to be fine. She found herself asking, “Can’t the police handle it?”

From where he was standing by the window, Steve pried the window open, and poked his head out to get a better view. Once the soldier finally got a look, he said, sounding distraught at what he saw, “I don’t think the police can handle this.”

As Kayla made her way over to the window, more screams filled the air, along with a sound of an explosion. Once the brunette got a good look through the opening, she immediately lifted a hand over her mouth to cover a gasp.

Down at the end of the street, it was complete destruction: cars were flipped, others bent from impacting with a building, debris from buildings scattered across the street, traffic lights were blinking on and off, and sparks of electricity and fires erupted everywhere. “Roof. We’ll get a better view,” she said quickly before she darted to the door across the room, no longer hesitant. She made her way to the stairs, and she began to climb them.

Steve made it to the ledge of the roof first- after skipping the steps of the stairs behind her- hands gripping the edge as he leaned forward to search the streets. When Kayla jogged over to stand beside him, she heard him ask, confusion clear in his voice, “What is that?”

The sight was shocking.

Small tornadoes flew across the street, seemingly coming from nowhere. Cars were swept up in the twisters, then thrown into buildings, shattering glass and causing even more destruction. Street lamps were bent and curled, with dumpsters and cars wrapped around them, and fires erupted from vehicles. It wasn’t a normal tornado; the trail of the twisters were plotted, controlled, aimed to strike vehicles and buildings.

Steve slammed a fist into the cement under his hands as he continued to watch the destruction happen a few streets over, and Kayla watched as a small crack appeared in the stone. His voice was filled with regret, frustration and a small trace of anger. “I don’t have my shield.”

Kayla, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking about running down there and using her powers for good, like she knew Steve was. Kayla was thinking about all of the terrible things that were down on the street. It wasn’t a similar experience to the Chitauri. There was no alien invasion, no threat from another world raining down on them. This was something completely new, which just striked fear through her whole body, causing her to freeze up.

“Steve, it’s in my front yard,” Kayla stated, hearing her own voice break with fear. There was destruction occurring streets away from where she lived, where she was supposed to feel safe and protected.

The woman clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking as she, too, watched the destruction occur at street level. Another vehicle took to the air, causing a loud crash to echo up to their rooftop, and Kayla let out noise of surprise mixed with fear. She heard a grumble of anger from behind her, and watched Thor square his shoulders as if he were getting ready for battle.

“We need to get down there,” and not even seconds after the words had left Steve’s lips, Thor raised his hammer to the air to call down lightening. Kayla quickly looked over at the god to see that the lightning was making his armor was fall into place, the silver and blues forming around his body.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Kayla said, turning her gaze back to the street. Kayla knew that Steve would need her help, that he would want her there to use her powers to help and fight if need be. But after everything that had happened in New York, she had to wonder: was she an Avenger? Could she continue to do this every day, saving the world from alien invasions and killer tornadoes? To put her life on the line so that others could live?

Steve pulled her out of her thoughts as he turned to her, searching her face. Kayla looked up at him with wide eyes, before he gently touched her shoulder. “They need us, Kayla.” His voice was soft, but he held himself like a soldier, ready to fight for what he believed in. His hand was warm on her arm, and Kayla let herself take a deep breath as he turned to look over her shoulder. “Thor…”

“I once said I’d help protect your world.” Now in his armor, Thor nodded. The god paused as Kayla turned around, his blue eyes looking at both in turn. “Those words hold true.” He nodded again, then in a swift motion turned to the edge of the roof, stepped onto it, and jumped off. Kayla watched with slightly widened eyes, thoughts running through her head. They were actually doing this, going off to stop this new threat.

She turned back to Steve, and gave him a hesitant nod to let him know that she was ready. The soldier squeezed her arm quickly in reassurance, and maybe in sympathy. She wasn’t a soldier, wasn’t used to the war like Steve.

Steve darted back to the door, and Kayla immediately followed, still uncertain. When they got to the stairs, Kayla watched in surprise as Steve didn’t even bother with each step. The soldier leapt down the entire flight to the landing, turned to the next, and then leapt again to the next landing. In two seconds he was gone from her sight.

Kayla rushed down the stairs after him. She stopped at her floor, moving to her apartment and entering the space, the door sitting wide open, and listened as Steve’s shoes collided with cement every other second, echoing throughout the stairwell.

Kayla was breathing heavily by the time she entered her apartment, but she rushed inside anyway, and frantically searched for her jacket, the one that Coulson had designed for her to wear for this exact reason. She found it in her closet, and was pretty close to hyperventilating as she tugged it on. Her heart beat loud to her ears as she rushed back to the stairs and jogged down, taking them one by one, not bothering to zip up the jacket. She had no idea why she was going to run into a battle. All she knew was that this was the right thing to do. Kayla knew that it was going to take some effort; she knew that she could get hurt, that she was going to step into the role of Shard and turn all ninja-y and that she could possibly hurt someone. She was going into battle with _Captain America,_ legendary war hero. The only sound in the stairwell was her footsteps and her mumbled, “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” as she started to freak out.

Kayla eventually made it to ground level and out the front door of the apartment building. As Kayla turned to figure out which way to go, she saw that Cap was already across the street, running past the few people who were still in the area running the opposite way towards safety, and she watched as he turned the corner toward the screams and loud noise of the destruction. She ran after him and turned the corner of the sidewalk and neared the first fire, which was a flipped car, abandoned on its side, she heard the cry of Thor. She couldn’t see what was happening, but she could imagine that the god had thrown his hammer at one of the tornados.

Kayla jogged over to the first car, checking through the broken windows. The brunette let herself relax when the search confirmed that there was no one left in the car. She continued to move down the street at a jog, keeping her eyes open, deciding that she needed to check the cars and get anyone out if there were people who were sticking around. As she came around two police cars that were blocking the road, again abandoned, she then stood in the middle of the battle, surrounded by fire and destroyed streets. Now that she was in the middle of the battle, the woman let herself shift perspectives, from searching for people to get them to safety, to getting ready for a fight. She let all of her thoughts and doubts drift away, until all she could see was the battle around her. Both Thor and Steve were turned towards a tornado a few feet past the two abandoned cars, and before Kayla could step up to meet them, the tornado all of a sudden disappeared. Shock filled the woman at what appeared in its place.

A man in some kind of green suit stood where the tornado had just been. His whole body was covered in the suit, the sun gleaming off of the green metal. Kayla could see that the helmet that he wore on his head had a slit big enough for his eyes. The man glared at Steve and Thor, but all Kayla could think was _the tornadoes are a man. He turns into a tornado?_ Her thoughts were proven wrong as the man pivoted on his foot and lifted his arms, and Kayla barely glimpsed him spinning before he was surrounded by the twister again. He _created_ the tornados.

The twister slowly moved toward them, a slow but destructive pace, with Kayla still about ten feet behind Thor and Cap. And as the twister got closer, Steve spoke up. “Stop this!” He yelled over the wind. “You’re hurting innocent lives! Stop this, or we’ll put a stop to you!”

The twister continued forward, aiming straight for the soldier. The captain darted to the side a moment before the twister would have hit him, but Thor stood his ground, his hair and his cape whipping in the wind. When the twister was a few feet away from him, the god jumped in.

Kayla’s hair begun to stir in the wind that the tornado was creating as it drifted closer, and it was difficult for her to see what had happened to Thor. The tornado was all white and gray, spinning too fast for any motion besides the blur of colors to leak through it. Kayla thought she caught a blur of red, but the speed of the twister was too fast. A shout filled the air, and a few seconds later, the god was thrown out of the tornado and into the nearest building about ten feet from the ground, shattering glass with his legs, but creating a large indent in the wall of the building with the rest of his body. He didn’t move for a few moments, before finally lifting his arms out of the building.

“Why are you doing this?!” Kayla yelled over the wind as she turned back. This was a man. Maybe they could talk him out of. Talk him out of destroying anything else.

“He _deserves_ it!” The man shouted back, his twisters spinning faster. Did the man mean Steve? Or was there something deeper in the reason why he was destroying just that street? Kayla watched as the tornado froze in place as the man spoke but continued to spin, if anything, faster. If Thor couldn’t get in there and stop the man, that meant that Cap probably couldn’t either, which meant that Kayla _definitely_ wouldn’t be able to. The captain was searching the area, trying to form a plan, but still keeping an eye on the man.

Kayla rolled her shoulders and created two shards. She took in a deep breath, aimed, then threw both, and created two more to join the first ones. She watched them enter the twister in the center, where the man should be standing, hoping to hit his leg. But a second later, four pink blurs shot out from the tornado. Two soared into the building that Thor was prying himself from, one flew into a fire, and the last flew straight toward Steve.

Kayla followed it with her eyes in horror, because Cap was about to get stabbed by one of her shards – by her - but Cap’s fast reflexes caused him to drop to the ground, just as the shard flew over him and into the side of an abandoned car behind him. He looked to Kayla before he stood, and Kayla let out a breath of relief.

Her shards weren’t going to work. His twister was faster than her strength.

Thor finally fell to the ground, and the twister immediately moved toward him, probably seeing that the god was his only competition. Thor grimaced, then lifted his hammer to the sky. In a flash and crackle, lightning appeared and struck Mjolnir, and without pause Thor directed the burst of light into the twister.

The twister was unaffected by the lightning. If anything, this only caused the man to pick it up a notch. Suddenly, smaller twisters emerged from the large one, the six twisters moving faster than the larger one, and spread around him. One of which was heading right toward Kayla.

She leapt to the side, her hair whipping in the blasts of wind emitting from it. Her vision blurred, causing her to stumble. The twister kept moving and hit the car behind her that was on its side. The car shifted on the ground and began to turn around with the twister, and after it spun three hundred and sixty degrees, the car was fast enough to move on its own. Right back toward Kayla, skidding across the pavement at a wild speed and creating sparks.

The car was too wide for her to move in time, and she thought about jumping over it, but she wasn’t strong enough. Thankfully, she didn’t need to.

Suddenly, Cap plowed into her, and they both flew to the side, and the sound of the car scraping against the pavement moved past her, where she would have been standing moments ago. She felt the thud of flesh on her side, and when she stopped moving, she opened her eyes to see Steve under her, using his body to take the blow of the landing.

“Steve!” She immediately pushed herself up and looked up to his grimace. She stood, staring down at him in horror, the battle forgotten for a moment, thinking his back was all scratched up or worse. But he, too, opened his eyes, and began to sit up. She held out her hand to him, and he took it. Her eyes widened further as he pulled himself up, and she thought she was going to get pulled to the ground with him. He must have forgotten his strength for a moment.

But then he was standing in front of her, steadying them both. A quick look over the two of them found that they were both alright, at least enough to keep going. Kayla and Steve looked over as the wind grew louder, before turning back to each other. The wind was loud, so Cap had to yell for her to hear him. “We need a plan to contain him.”

Kayla nodded, but how? The twister blew away anything that came near it, and everything in the vicinity was beginning to shift in the wind. Discarded shrapnel, papers and random materials that fell from damaged buildings. It was turning into a huge whirlwind, filling with debris.

Thor jumped back into the tornado, his hammer leading the way, as he tried again to get through the twister and to the man in the center.

Suddenly, two more twisters were coming toward her and Cap, and Kayla immediately threw her hands up to put up her shield, spreading it in front of her and Cap on instinct, and built it up so the tornado wouldn’t hit them from above. The pink morphed from her forearms, glowing and spreading out, parallel with her hands. The twister collided with her shield, but the dome held. The wind hit it, dispersed around it, a gush of wind bursting around it, but it died away.

She lowered the shield and straightened.

“Kayla!”

The woman looked up to Steve, and he pointed to where the twisters had just been, gesturing quickly. “Can you do that around him?” Kayla’s eyes widened. Her shield had stopped the wind and prevented the twister from moving towards them. She nodded without him having to say anything, and looked back to the tornado.

“It’s going to take a lot of concentration,” she told him. “Can you distract him?”

The captain nodded as Thor flew out of another twister again. He flew straight up, and when he came back down, he landed neatly beside them, instead of being thrown.

“I cannot penetrate it,” he stated to them loudly.

“We have a plan,” Steve said behind her as Kayla stepped forward. “Thor, can you shoot another burst of lightning, just to get his attention?” The god nodded, moving a few steps away. Kayla took a deep breath, studying the tornado, which was slowly moving toward her. She closed her eyes and reached inside herself, knowing this shield was going to have to be big. Then, as she let her breath out, she lifted her arms out and pushed.

Pink burst from her hands and out three feet in front of her, then started to spread in all directions parallel with her body. It only took a moment for the pink to hit the ground, and it spread up, left, and right. From Kayla’s point of view, there was pink separating her and the tornado, but she was small, and that guy’s tornado was not. Thor hit another twister, causing the big one to break into two, and one moved toward Thor.

The wind that hit Kayla died down, a wall between her and it. As the tornado built up even more, Kayla pushed harder, another burst of pink joining the rest. It spread even more as Kayla pictured it spreading into a dome around the tornado. But as it grew, almost reaching half the dome, Kayla felt her breathing become strained in the effort. “Steve!” She yelled, a little panicked.

“You can do it!” He reassured. The pink spread slower, and Kayla clenched her teeth. She was so close, it couldn’t stop now. She could do this.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to do it on her own.

A flash of blue and pink light erupted on the other side of Kayla’s wall, and as Kayla squinted her eyes and looked through the pink and the gray wind, she saw that there was someone on the other side of the twister. A moment later, a flash of white spread through the air, completing the other half of her dome, the half that Kayla couldn’t complete. Focusing on keeping her shield where it was was easier, now that there was support on the other half.

With the dome around the man finished, the man inside the pink and white began to react. The twisters became more frantic, and the man inside started yelling, throwing twisters at the dome. But it continued to hold, with both sides holding him in.

Kayla searched through the tornados to see what was happening on the other side, while trying to keep her concentration, and she saw the faint outline of a blue figure and blonde hair through the edge of the tornado. Another blue figure was coming around the dome, and stopped were the pink met the misty white. Kayla tracked its movement, until she realized that is was a man in some sort of blue uniform. At the sight of her, he stopped and waved his arms to grab her attention. “Slowly shrink it!” He yelled to her, pointing to the dome, gestured along with his words.

Kayla felt her brows twitch in confusion, but then she realized what he was thinking. Make the dome smaller and smaller until there was no space for the man to twist? Possibly. She nodded to the man, then focused her attention back to her half of the dome, and the man disappeared around the dome again. She pushed on her pink, but instead of spreading out, she pushed it to fall down, the ends to curl in, and get smaller. Kayla had to walk forward, the dome emanating from her arms to keep the shape. It was a slow process, but the wind was no longer whipping about, it was completely concealed in the dome, so the guy was contained, and she knew it was working.

Soon, the dome was half its original size, and Kayla felt more confident with her focus now doubled, and the dome shrunk faster, though it required all of her concentration. Inside the dome, which was only eight feet tall instead of its twenty, the gray and white blurs of the wind filled the entire inside and stirred.

Suddenly, the man inside stopped and stood inside the dome that continued to shrink, looking up at the dome franticly.

As the dome shrunk another foot, Kayla began to form her dome completely around the man, the pink of her shield completely covering the man. A few seconds later, the misty white moved over her pink, forming a second layer.

Now that the man was contained, Kayla got her first look at the two people who had joined them. They were clad in matching blue uniforms, with the number four on their chests. After a moment, it finally clicked who they were.

The Fantastic Four.

Huh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? About the action scene, the cameos, Jane in the beginning, anything?  
> Next chapter will be shorter like I said, but I think it will be nice. Thank you everyone, for sticking with me, and hopefully not getting too frustrated with me for the long way!   
> I also apologize for the abrupt ending, but like I said, I split the chapter in two, to kind of keep the action in one and then all the chit chat and stuff for the next.  
> With love,   
> OnyxRing


	16. Resistance is Futile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! How’s it going!? Yup, me too, I am psyched for the movie!
> 
> Okay, this one is shorter than usual, and I apologize in advance for the LANGUAGE, but it seemed fitting, especially because of who is doing all of the swearing. We still have the Fantastic Four (kind of) briefly, and some mutant talk, some Agent Dicks, and SCIENCE! And Star Trek, yeahhhh.

“Hi, we haven’t met. I’m Sue.”

Kayla shook the woman’s hand. It was true, the two hadn’t met before, but _of course_ Kayla had heard about the Fantastic Four. They had saved the city from Doctor Doom, and had been the first heroes that Kayla had ever heard about. The four heroes had been on the news over and over again after they had defeated their former ally, and again when, who they called “the Silver Surfer,” showed up. Kayla had admired them, how they had gotten their powers when they had been on a space station and had been hit with a solar flare, and decided to use their powers for the good of humanity.

It wasn’t until after New York that Kayla had even learned about the mutants. Coulson had been the one who had sparked her interest in learning about what she had come to learn as what she was. A mutant. Kayla had begun to read up on what happened to the mutants, and how they were now known to the rest of the world.

Kayla was born with her powers, sparked to arise, as had every other mutant out there, where others had had something traumatic or devastating happen to them to get their powers, like Steve or Tony and the others, like Richards and his team, like so many other heroes out there. But mutants were seen as abominations, born different, and she didn’t understand how people could be treated so differently but yet were practically the same. In the end, Kayla and Steve weren’t that different after all.

 “Kayla,” she finally replied, pushing her thoughts away, smiling as she let go of the blonde’s hand. “Yeah, I’ve heard about you guys, the Fantastic Four.”

“Well, there’s only half of us.” Sue smiled back. “And you guys are the Avengers.”

“Half of us,” Kayla said with a grin.

“I gotta say that the half of the team that I’ve seen so far is pretty attractive,” Sue gave a meaningful glance over Kayla’s shoulder, and she turned to catch sight of Steve helping an injured woman out of a building with the first floor of it practically in ruins. Kayla turned back to Sue. “He’s a lot more attractive in person.”

Kayla glanced over at Sue’s teammate, before meeting her smile again. “Aren’t you married?”

“I love that man no matter how annoying he gets, I was just stating the obvious.” When Kayla neither agrees or disagrees, Sue nodded knowingly. “Oh, you’re with someone, or you _like_ someone.”

At that, Kayla turns her gaze away, though she had started to smile herself. “We just turned into twelve year old girls. How do you even _know_ that?”

Sue grinned and turned to include her teammate. “This is Reed,” the woman pointed over to the man known as Mr. Fantastic, who was holding a device in his hand as he crouched over the area a few feet away that the man in the green suit had previously been.

“Yeah, what exactly did he do to that man? He kinda just… disappeared.” Kayla wondered, looking over at Reed Richards as the man walked over to the two woman. It was that moment when Thor moved over to them as well, looking like he had been on a few roller coasters by the state of his hair. After Kayla and Sue had trapped the twister man under their powers, the other member of the Fantastic Four had pulled out some sort of device, and the two woman had dropped their shields. A few moments later, the man in the green suit had glowed a bright yellow and was just… gone.

“This device,” the man, who Kayla now noticed had gray hair on either side of his head, spoke as he lifted the device in his hand and gestured to it, having heard her ask, and explained, “decreases the space between the atomic particles of a given piece of matter of what I point the device at - in this case the man in the green suit – while allowing the proportions and relative density of the man to maintain the same as the mass-”

“Reed.” The man looks up from the device at the interruption, to look at Sue, who gestured over to Kayla and Thor. The two Avengers looked on, and it was clear that neither were following what the scientist was saying. Neither understood science jargon. Kayla couldn’t even remember how to make coffee, and she was pretty sure Thor didn’t even know that coffee was _called_ coffee. How were they supposed to know what _relative density_ was?

The man cleared his throat, looking apologetic, but also a little disappointed. “It’s basically a, uh, a shrink ray.” Kayla found herself nodding in understanding as he continued. “I shrunk him down so he could fit in this device so he doesn’t cause anyone harm while we transport him.”

Next to Kayla, Thor hummed, and she turned to see that her teammate was staring at the device. He still looked very confused, and Kayla didn’t know if he was about to make himself even more confused. “That man is in that tiny little… machine?” At Reed Richard’s nod, Thor continued. “How has this come to pass? I wish to know how such a big man…”

Kayla had begun to tune out Thor as he began questioning the scientist, and instead turned her focus around her. While they had caught the bad guy, people had started to form a crowd as the danger had disappeared. There were a handful of people standing around thirty feet away on all sides, still frightened but curious. Kayla turned enough to see that Steve was discovering the same thing, as he carried another injured woman away from some debris. The two locked gazes, and then Kayla watched as Steve’s eyes snapped around to look into the sky, hearing something that only his ears could. But Kayla followed his gaze, to see a little dot in the sky heading in their direction.

When it was big enough to see clearly, Kayla realized that it was a quinjet, and that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be on scene soon. Only then did she hear the hum of the engine. Kayla turned her gaze back to Thor and the two members of the Fantastic Four. “S.H.I.E.L.D. is here,” she said, and looked up at the Asgardian next to her. “Did you want to take off? I know you didn’t really like the last debrief, after the Battle and everything.”

“Nay. I will stay.” Thor placed a hand lightly on her arm as he looked up to the sky and spotted the quinjet flying towards them. “It was only the treatment of my brother that I despised at our last battle.”

Kayla understood that. She didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but she thought she would feel the same if someone had locked Steve up and took his powers away _just to do it._

As the quinjet landed, Kayla caught sight of another soaring through the air towards them from another direction. The first jet didn’t power down, and instead opened up to let a half a dozen agents pour out. Following them came Natasha, and Kayla found herself shaking her head in disbelief. Seeing two of the other Avengers in one day was definitely a surprise. Natasha came out looking as striking as ever, and nodded to one of the agents next to her before gesturing with a nod to something over their shoulders. The agent moved forward, and Kayla turned to see that Natasha had told the agent to take care of the news van that had drove up with just a glance and a nod.

Soon, the agents had begun to take control of the area and began guiding civilians away, and the other quinjet had landed to let more agents onto the streets. Kayla watched as Natasha made her way towards the little group, clad in her uniform and a smile on her lips. “Hey guys,” she said when she was close enough to be heard. Kayla immediately noticed the difference in her. In the three months that she hadn’t seen her, Natasha had let her hair grow out a few inches, though it was still curly. “Looks like I missed the fun.”

But at seeing Natasha, who had turned to talk with the two members of the Fantastic Four, Kayla began to wonder where Clint was, and she began to think about what Sue had said. Which made her think about the last time she had seen Clint three months ago. _Men,_ Kayla thought with a shake of her head, and pushed thoughts of Clint away.

“This way,” Natasha began to walk back to the quinjet she had landed in, and Thor walked by her side. Kayla caught Steve’s arm as she realized that Sue and Reed were not getting on the same jet. When she asked him, he told her, “They’re bringing the man to a secure facility. Where he won’t be able to use his powers.”

Kayla nodded, showing she understood, but really, she didn’t. After everything that had happened to her, she didn’t know how she would feel if she suddenly got her powers taken away from her. It would be devastating. So Kayla watched as the two walked to a different jet, and wondered what it would be like if that was her getting taken away.

oOo

The ride to S.H.I.E.L.D. was mostly quiet. Both Kayla and Steve were exhausted and covered in debris, with tears in their clothes. Somehow, all Thor had gotten out of the fight was windblown hair, and it probably would need a good brushing along with Kayla’s. But his uniform looked clean, except for his cape, which he had taken off. Kayla was caught up in her thoughts of where the man in the green suit was being taken, and Thor looked at Kayla every now and then with a smile, but didn’t speak. She figured he somehow caught on to her mood. The only people who talked during the flight were the pilots, and a small conversation between Natasha and Steve about some mission in Quebec.

When they flew out into the ocean, and Kayla got a good look at the ship in the water, Kayla was confused. She knew that the Helicarrier was still going through repairs and a new upgrade. Natasha caught her gaze with a small smile. “It’s just a big boat this time.” But Kayla knew better than to believe that. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t _just_ have anything anymore.

As the jet landed on the landing pad of the boat, Kayla felt herself hesitating as Thor and Steve stepped off. Natasha noticed, as did Steve, but with a look from the redhead, he kept moving. Kayla took a step down the ramp, but paused as the other woman glanced down at her wrist. Kayla realized that she had been involuntarily fidgeting with her bracelet, and she folded her fingers into fists. She supposed it was a dead give-away about what it was that she had been thinking about. So she asked, when she saw that it was just the two of them, and not caring if the pilots overheard, “Is he here?”

The agent didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. Natasha watched her for a moment, her green eyes hard to read, before she answered. “No.”

“Good.” Kayla let out a deep breath, then stepped down the ramp to follow the other two. For a moment, Natasha looked conflicted, as if that hadn’t been what she was expecting. She was probably expecting that Kayla would want to see Clint, rather than _not_ want to see him. But she ignored the look, not wanting to think about it. So she wouldn’t be running into Clint, which meant that she didn’t have to worry about what it was she would say if she saw him.

As they entered the bridge, Kayla found that it was similar to that of the Helicarrier, only that there were fewer agents, as if it were the skeleton crew, just enough to make the ship continue working. At the table, Agent Hill was standing farther away from the table with her arms crossed over her chest, and there were two more agents standing at the table. Steve moved to stand behind a chair, and Thor followed. Kayla moved closer and watched as Natasha was the first to take a seat near the end of the table.

It was then that Director Fury walked into the room. “Please, take a seat everyone,” he said sarcastically, as if he didn’t believe why they were all standing there staring each other down. Kayla waited for Steve to move first, taking the chair he stood behind. Kayla then complied, going to take the seat one away from Natasha, who was next to the chair Thor stood behind, and on the other side of Steve. The rest of them began to sit, except the director and Hill, but as Kayla got a good look at the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents across from her, Kayla found herself exclaiming, “No!”

Heads snapped up at her loud outburst, but Kayla didn’t turn her eyes away from the blond agent who began to sit across from Thor. “No, I refuse to work with him. Being in the same room, occupying the same space, fine, I can deal with that, but working together? No.” Kayla folded her arms across her chest protectively and stubbornly, and was aware that she sounded like a bratty child, but she couldn’t do it. “No, not with him.”

The agent settled in his seat across from Thor, which was next to where Fury had stopped to stand. The agent slammed the file he was holding down onto the surface of the table and scowled down at it. “Oh, grow up, Hudson.”

“ _Really?_ ” Kayla glared at the man.

“Not everything is about you.” His blue eyes turned finally to meet hers, and he glared right back.

Kayla’s own glare hardened, if it could even get more hateful. “And look who’s talking.”

“Enough.” The director finally interrupted, before the agent could respond. He hadn’t raised his voice at all, but his voice alone was enough to make them both quiet. “Hudson,” he said, gesturing to the chair, and practically yelling at her to sit with his one eye.

Kayla glanced around at the others to see that Hill, Thor and Steve were all looking between Kayla and the other agent, and she found that she couldn’t meet any of their eyes as they looked at her, confused at the interaction. So instead, she turned her glare down to the table and took a seat. She leaned back in her chair, arms still crossed over her chest, and began to glare at nothing in particular. _As long as I don’t look at him_ , Kayla told herself, _and as long as he doesn’t talk to me, I can sit here and endure this._

“What’s the history between you two?” Kayla glared at the spokesperson. It was the other agent, who had leaned over and half whispered to the first. This agent she didn’t know, and thought about all of the things she could say about the first, but Fury spoke before she could get a word out.

“This is Agent Derks,” the director nodded to the man that Kayla had bickered with, and Kayla found herself glaring at him again as his blue eyes dared to meet her teammates. Kayla held back her immediate response, which was _Do you mean Agent Dicks?_ which she had taken to calling him, but remembered that she had only called him that in front of Coulson, and no one else would really understand like he would. “He specializes in training, and has worked with a few people in helping them successfully control their powers. And Agent Blake.”

Hopefully that was enough of an explanation for Steve so the man could make the connection. Agent Derks had been her trainer before Clint, and he had done a horrible job. But Kayla felt some of her anger drain out of her at the director’s words. She had known that Dicks had been helping her in controlling her powers, but she hadn’t realized that he had helped _other_ people as well. Kayla had always seen him as her babysitter, keeping her on a tight leash. But to learn that other people had gone to him for help, it made her feel a little guilty for not letting him do what he was trained to do. But he was still a dick.

“Today, we encountered a man set on destroying a street and flipping cars and _people_. Luckily, there were only injuries today, and nothing too serious.” Fury turned his eye away from Kayla and Derks and included the others into the conversation. “We’ll be sure to interrogate him further for a motive.”

“So, what are we here for?” Steve asked.

“You know that we debrief after every mission, Captain, as well as clean-up.” Fury turned to the second agent. “Blake.”

“This man,” Agent Blake started, clearing his throat before continuing, “who we’ve identified as David Cannon, escaped his prison cell at oh-eight hundred hours this morning, from Kansas City, Missouri. And then he traveled across the country to get _here_. We don’t know why yet.”

“Cannon wasn’t on our radar,” Fury picked back up. “That’s why we’re here today. There wasn’t a chance that S.H.I.E.L.D. would have gotten there before we did, and today was only because we were in the area.” The director paused to let that information sink in. “Believe it or not, we aren’t always prepared for random shit to happen. Which is why we need a team that will always be ready to protect this city, from the everyday stuff to days like the Battle. And from what I’ve seen, you look like you’re up for the job, with all of the back-alley saving you two have been doing.”

Fury glanced pointedly at Kayla and Steve, and Kayla immediately felt the blush rise to her cheeks as all eyes turned to her. She frowned down at the table to keep herself from meeting anyone’s eyes. No one was supposed to find out about her little vigilante acts. When she finally looked up to meet Steve’s eyes, she saw that he looked slightly confused, but also a little shocked. But then the man schooled his face into a blank expression and he nodded, in acceptance or approval, she didn’t know. With a glance to the spy on her left, Kayla saw the redhead fighting off a smile, and she also gave Kayla a nod.

“Bad guys, aliens, mutants, people hell bent on revenge.” Fury continued his speech. “We’ll need to stop them, and if S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t ready, someone else needs to be.” His voice took on a not-so-serious tone as he glanced at the team. “Maybe this will help you _team up_ , work together. The Avengers Initiative.”

The brunette glanced around the table, looking quickly at the two agents across the table, before turning to Thor. She smiled hesitantly and questionably, and Thor met her eyes to nod back. Then he shared a quick look with Steve. Kayla turned to watch as Steve stared at his hands on the table before looking up and meeting the director’s eye. He took a deep breath before agreeing, “Yeah, we’ll be ready.”

Kayla sighed, adding quietly, “Resistance is futile.”

At the odd looks she received, Kayla nodded. _We’re doing this,_ Kayla thought to herself. They had done it without a mission brief or a point in the right direction, because it was the right thing to do, would always be the right thing to do. And they’d do it again.


	17. The Hawk's Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am happy to inform you that I have finally made an outline for the next few chapters leading up to the point that I really wanted for the second half of this story when I found out where the Avengers was really going in the MCU. So hopefully I will have much smoother publishing dates with less fretting time in between. And the semester is almost over so not as much homework to take over my writing time, yay!
> 
> And I've got a short one for you today, but hopefully it's a good surprise and some insight? Have any questions, give me a comment and I'll answer any! Have a good one!

He made for high ground.

He had had his arms wrapped around the bar in front of him for what felt like hours, and it probably had been. It was a spot he had picked, where he could see who was coming in and out of the bridge, and also see the main hall, which had a high ceiling. It was his new routine, to cling to the highest point, since he wasn’t any closer to getting back out to the field. He had to compromise, putting his now wasted talent to become the new ultimate security system. He kept an eye on anyone and everyone.

Just as he had watched Rogers and Thor come down the hall, Clint Barton had been ready to toss down a rope to greet the two in excitement, since he was sick and tired of getting looked at like he would turn on his colleagues the second they turned around. He knew – or he figured – that those two would be a nice change. Until two more people turned down the hall to follow them. The archer froze at the sight, his hands that gripped the railing tightened, and his breath caught in his throat.

Natasha walked at Kayla’s side, but he only had eyes for the author. _She’s here_ , he thought. She looked exhausted, her dark brown hair was tangled and snarled in places, giving her a wild look. Her hazel eyes had changed since the last time he had seen her. They looked browner, and like the light had left them, rather than her brown-green eyes that looked golden at times. Her lips were parted, and she was taking in measured breaths, in a way that told Clint that she was in pain, if the slightest. He got a glimpse of her ear through her hair, to see that she was wearing studs and a hoop in her cartilage. She looked to be covered in cement dust and debris, with a small tear in the leg of her jeans. Kayla wore the jacket that she had once discarded at the battle, the sleeves rolled down to cover most of her arms, and with the jacket unzipped to be left hung open. The pink diagonal stripes on the sleeves of her jacket were vibrant in the lighting of the ship. Under the jacket, she wore street clothes, as if she had picked up the jacket in a hurry and pulled it on. She wore a black t-shirt with a pair of jeans that hugged her legs and hips, with a pair of black boots wrapped in buckles that ended mid-shin. It was odd, different from her usual Converse, with the battered laces and the holes on either side from being worn too much.

Clint looked on, and watched how she took another step, noticing that they were slow. This added to his conclusion that she was exhausted, and that she could be bruised, but not too badly. But what made the blond let out the breath he had been holding was that his eye had caught Kayla cradling her wrists to her stomach, and the fingers of her right hand tracing the bracelet on her left.

She still wore it, even after two and a half months of radio silence where Clint pushed himself away. After two months of missing her, staying away, and only wanting to rush to her apartment and just occupy the same space as her. Clint felt a moment of longing. She was in his sights, not even forty feet down the hall. All he wanted was to hear her voice, watch her smile, and the only thing he could think was, _I’m not ready._

So he stayed where he was, frozen in the shadows, crouched on the landing. In the three seconds that it took for Clint to examine every detail of Kayla, she had only taken two steps forward. And with every other step she took, she moved closer to him, and his heart beat louder. As she got closer, he sucked in a breath, wondering if she would look up. That if she did, if she looked him in the eye, it would be all over for him. She continued to move, and then eventually passed underneath him.

She never looked.

As the brunette moved out of view, Clint let out the air in his lungs and let his head fall forward to press against the cool metal of the railing, and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them, and looked to see that someone else had looked up. He met the green eyes of Natasha Romanoff, who wore a blank expression on her face, showing no judgement or emotion. She didn’t even look to be communicating something to him, only watching his reaction. Then she was gone, and Clint was left to take in shaky breaths alone. He was glad then, that he was almost thirty feet higher than anyone else, so they didn’t see the way his hands shook.

“What am I doing?” He wondered, pressing his forehead against the railing even harder.

oOo

He waited. Kayla and the others had been in the bridge room less than ten minutes, and Clint was already restless. But he forced himself to cling to the railing and stay where he was.

When Thor walked out with Natasha, Clint jumped to his feet. Kayla walked out next to Rogers, and he froze again as the sound of her voice reached his ears. “It’s Star _Trek,_ not Star Wars.”

“I thought we were watching Star Wars?” Rogers asked, and Clint watched the pair.

“We are. But we’ll get to Star Trek eventually, don’t worry,” Kayla smiled, and Clint felt his stomach drop. She was beautiful, even covered in dirt and tired, but she wasn’t smiling at Clint.

“Is there even a difference?” Steve asked, sounding irritated, but gave away that he was teasing by the small smile on his lips. Kayla sputtered, as if he had just insulted her. She was still speechless as the two walked forward, their backs then turned to Clint as they moved away from the bridge. And it hurt, how she was smiling but walking away.

“Rogers,” Clint whispered, unaware that he had planned to until the name left his lips, and watched the soldier below stop in mid-step. He was the only one who was able to hear Clint, due to his enhanced hearing.

“What’s wrong?” Kayla asked, immediately seeing the tension in Rogers’ shoulder. She looked concerned, concerned for Steve, who had become the brunette’s friend over the last few months. She had gotten to know Rogers enough to see that at that moment he had become uncomfortable, and the soldier had barely reacted.

Now that Clint had stopped the soldier, he realized how much he needed to talk to him. Like so many times before, he just wanted to hear about Kayla.

“Nothing,” the soldier replied, immediately relaxing. “I just remembered that I need to speak with Fury about something. I’ll meet you at the surface? We can catch a ride back together.”

Kayla nodded, the confusion and concern leaving her expression, before she turned and walked down the hall. She trusted him enough not to question him on it. Both men watched until she turned the corner, disappearing out of view.

Clint moved when she was gone, throwing his rope down, and then swinging over the rail and lowering himself to the floor. Rogers snapped around from where he had been looking towards the bridge, searching for the archer. The agent nodded hesitantly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his open jacket.

“Barton,” Rogers said, glancing down the hall questionably, before his blue eyes met blue. “You know, you just missed Kayla.” He pointed a thumb down the hall as he said it, displeased and sarcastic. The soldier then settled his hands on his belt disapprovingly.

Clint let his shoulders sag forward, and his head tip down. It was awkward, getting that look from the captain. It felt like he was the little brother, who had touched something he shouldn’t have that belonged to Rogers. And yet he still ducked his head as if he were about to get yelled at. “I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry you lied to her just now, and I’m sorry that I bug you about her every time you report in for an assignment. I’m sorry that I’m making you Hermes, okay?” Clint let out a breath, shaking his head. He winced before asking, but he had to know. “How is she?”

When he didn’t get a reply right away, Clint glanced up. Rogers studied the man in front of him. After a moment, his figure relaxed, and his voice softened. “She’s fine. She’s doing good.”

Clint nodded, glancing down the hall in the direction that Kayla had gone. “You watching out for her? I don’t know what happened today, but she looked beat.”

“She can take care of herself.” Rogers sent him a look before sighing and looking away. “It’s been two months, Barton. Two months where you’ve-“

“I know!” Clint interrupted, pulling a hand out of his pocket to clench into a fist. Anger slipped into his voice, but it wasn’t directed at Rogers. He was angry with himself. He forced himself to lower his voice so he wouldn’t snap again. “I know. Two months of going to you and asking how Kayla is instead of asking her myself. Two months of asking you about your Wednesdays because you spend your day with her. You’re her friend, and me, I haven’t seen her in _three_ _months_ , until today, because I’m _terrified_!”

“What is so terrifying? She cares about you, that much is obvious.” Rogers gestured once, anger now in his voice as well. “And you care about her, otherwise you wouldn’t be asking. What’s so scary that you can’t even tell your girl- Kayla, about what’s going on?”

“I’m terrified because I’m not so sure she _will_ care about me when she finds out that I-“ He cut himself off. _That I remember everything,_ Clint thought. _I remember everything in Germany, and all of those innocent people. I remember it all now. And I remembered what it_ felt _like._ But he couldn’t tell that to Rogers. He couldn’t tell that to _anyone._ Instead, Clint only said, “That I’m a mess. She deserves so much better than me. And I _do_ care about her. I should have stayed, because if she would have been there for me, and I would have been there for her if our roles were reversed. She would have let me help her, but I- Damn, I-“ Clint raised his hands up, rubbing at his face when he felt all of the energy leave him as his thoughts began to run wild.

“Barton,” Rogers voice broke through. “Clint.” The archer dropped his head and sucked in a breath before meeting his eyes. “All of that. You should be telling Kayla.”

Clint let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, and what good will that do? Do you think she’s going to forgive me that easily? It’s not like I can go back and do it differently.”

“Look,” Rogers started, taking a step closer to the archer. “I don’t know much about relationships. But I do know, when you care about someone…” The man trailed off, a faraway look on his face. For a moment, his eyes weren’t looking at Clint. They were looking into the past, and Clint saw the way they flashed with regret and sadness. Then the soldier came back, looking convinced that he was saying the right thing. “You can’t be afraid to tell them anything. Because you don’t know if it will be the last time you see them.” Rogers gave Clint a little half smile, though the archer could see the sadness there. “And I do know Kayla. She’ll understand.”

Before Clint had a chance to respond, to even think about responding, a flash of red entered his vision. Clint turned to the woman clad in black. Her green eyes moved over Clint’s body, and the archer tried to push down all of his emotions, to try and keep his face blank of expression. But he knew that it was futile, that Natasha was way too experienced not to see how conflicted Clint felt. After a moment of looking him over, her eyes moved to the captain. “She’s waiting for you up top.”

Rogers gave her a nod. Clint straightened as the captain’s eyes turned back to him and he tried to collect himself. “Think about it?” Rogers asked, offering his hand.

Clint took a deep breath and blinked slowly. He looked down at the other man’s hand, and then shook the captain’s hand as he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

Then the captain was turning, walking down the corridor, and Clint was left alone with Natasha, wondering _how much of that did you hear, oh wise one?_ as he met her eyes. He lifted a hand to rub at his forehead, not able to keep the exhaustion showing from his body. “Hey, Tasha,” the archer said as he let his hands fall back to his sides, and he flashed her a quick tight lipped smile.

But Natasha wasn’t fooled. “Should I even ask?”

“I’m fine.” He replied, knowing that she was asking if she should be asking him how he was.

There was a pause, with the hums of the boat and the echo of chatter surrounding them, before the other agent spoke. “She asked me if you were here.” Clint blinked, surprised. “I said no. Should I have told her differently?”

 _I’m not ready_. The thought drifted back to him. “No,” he said simply, looking her in the eye.

“Let’s get lunch,” Natasha said abruptly, completely changing the subject as if it had never even come up. And Clint knew better than to fight with her about that. So he followed her down the hall and through the cafeteria. They ate in silence, barely evening glancing at each other. But they were together, which was enough to make Clint comfortable. Natasha was there, would always be there, and would fend off anyone who so much as looked at Clint wrong, no matter how many times he told her he could handle it himself.

The archer thought about what Rogers had said. Maybe… maybe Clint would think about talking to Kayla. He had wanted to talk to her for the past three months. The only problem; he had no idea what he would say.

oOo

Since the battle, Clint Barton had been taken off all assignments until further notice.

Usually, he didn’t mind all that much. Three months was a long time in the field. But these three months were the opposite of what he would call fun. They were full of evaluations and sessions with doctors, tests and simulations.

And he hated it.

“Seriously, this is getting insane. Do you know that the definition of insane is?” Clint paused, as if he was really waiting for her to answer. “Yeah, it’s this. Right here. You keep asking me the same questions over and over again, and they’ve been the same for the past three months.”

“Agent Barton,” the doctor started, breathing out a sigh of irritation. _Oh really, you get to be irritated_ , Clint thought as he watched her moved the papers in her lap around as if she was looking for a direct quote or exact information even though they both knew that she was just trying to look like a therapist. It was annoying. “It’s protocol. You’ll be taken off duty until you’re cleared for the field.”

“I should have been cleared months ago!”

“You haven’t been showing any progress. That’s why you haven’t been cleared.” The doctor’s brown eyes looked Clint over, and Clint stared right back. “You sit here in these sessions, closed off, refusing to talk about what happened.”

“That’s because I don’t remember.” Clint ground out, pressing his closed fists into his thighs to fight the urge to cross his arms over his chest. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He just wanted to get his life back. “Like I told the other two therapists in the last three months, I’m not being manipulated, and my thoughts aren’t consumed with stabbing someone in the eye every time they look at me the wrong way. Because if they were, I’d run out of places to hide the bodies and you would have found them by now.” Because everyone looked at him like he would whip out his bow and just start killing people. Like he had _chosen_ to go with Loki, instead of him doing it all against his will. “Loki doesn’t have his claws in me, and I still don’t remember anything that happened in Germany or Switzerland or anywhere else I happened to go when I was under that spell. I’m not gonna start a killing spree anytime soon.”

“Nothing?” The doctor asked.

Clint forced himself to keep his expression the same. “Nothing,” he confirmed.

Only it wasn’t completely true. The first few days after Loki had left had been fine, or as fine as he could be when he didn’t think about Coulson or how many agents went down or the time gap that he had been missing, and that’s what he had told the first therapist. That he only remembered the portal opening, and then Natasha smacking him awake, nothing in between.

But a few days after the Battle, he began having nightmares. Of being in Germany, and Switzerland, and Wales. He had killed people, and didn’t feel a thing. And when Clint woke from the nightmares, he brushed them off as just that; nightmares. Until he started getting flashes when he was awake, as he looked at a passing agent, and had a flash of slitting someone’s throat with the same color eyes.

“Alright, let’s talk about what happened after you woke up. After the battle, when you could finally sit down and think about what happened.”

“I woke up and knew Loki did something.” Clint turned away from the therapist to look out the small window at the water. He knew that he couldn’t tell anyone about remembering, but if he didn’t talk about his _feelings_ , the process would take much longer. And he really wanted to get off this boat. “But I found out what was happening and I got in the plane to help kill some aliens. Helped save the world.”

“And what happened after that?”

“Well, after the portal was closed, I found out about Agent Coulson.” Clint wanted to stop there, but it couldn’t hurt to just talk about even a little, could it? “I found out that the man who mentored me, who recruited me, was dead. Nobody thought to tell me when I first woke up, but hours later. I mean, I guess it was hard at first, learning about everything that happened…”

oOo

_Thunk._

The first arrow he shot was a relief.

It was relaxing, and with every arrow he shot, the tension slowly left his body.

_Thunk. Thunk._

Clint hoped it was worth it, talking to that doctor. He hoped it was worth telling her what had happened to him in the last three months, even if he had bullshitted half of it. _A few more days,_ Clint thought as he let another arrow fly, hitting its mark just like every other arrow he shot. _Just deal with it all for another few days._

So the archer stood in the range, shooting arrows until his quiver was empty and he went to retrieve them all, before moving back to his original spot and repeating the process.


	18. Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to post on Wednesday on AO3, so here it is. It's a short chapter, nobody throw things at me please, I hope you enjoy! :)

"So. The Avengers." Steve raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at Kayla. The brunette rolled her lips together. "The seven of us?"

After they had chatted down at S.H.I.E.L.D., the three had gone back down to the scene where Cannon had attacked. Though S.H.I.E.L.D. was on sight, Kayla, Steve, and Thor began to help clear the street of debris and to help move the cars that had been flipped. It was the least they could do, when they had been the cause of some of the damage. The three were down there for hours, both of the men using their strength to do the heavy-lifting, while Kayla began to use her shield to help support beams or buildings until the crew could fix them, at least temporarily. Though the streets were clear, they closed the roads off, and the buildings that were damaged were closed as well.

When they had helped with what they could and the rest of the men on scene begun to leave, the three Avengers went their separate ways to clean up and reboot. When there was a knock on the door the next morning, Kayla opened it to find Steve and Thor smiling with breakfast from the bakery down the street in their arms. When they requested to finish the movie, Kayla could only laugh and comply. It was comforting, to have them there after the day before. But their day was filled with mundane activity, watching the movie and laughing at the others comments, enjoying each other's company.

After the movie had finished, they started telling stories. It started with Steve back in the '40s, telling about some of the Hydra bases he raided and some funny stories of the Hollowing Commandos. Then Thor told a story of how he had received Mjolnir, and told them how he met the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif. And when they looked to Kayla to share a tale, she came up blank. She didn't have an interesting story from a war, or an adventurous tale. Until she decided that it wasn't important, not the kind of story they were sharing, but how it was a good memory for them. So she told them how she met Tessa, and a few other stories of the girl who Kayla had once called a sister. And when she finished, neither of them asked what happened to Tessa. That made it all worth it.

So the next evening when Kayla had asked about the Avengers while they were at the gym, Steve turned away from the punching bag as their voices began to fill the once quiet room. "Well I can ask, but I can guess what they'll say."

"Tony is a yes," Kayla supplied.  _That much is obvious._  Tony had the tech, the resources to spot any abnormalities all around the world and was their best method of communication and taking down any threat as quick as possible. He had the most experience, next to Steve. And Steve would be a yes, because he had grown up believing that he would fight in the war because it was the right thing to do, and he would continue to do so. It was the life he had grown into.

"He'll take any chance he can get to play with the big kids." Though Steve sounded serious and may have believed that, Kayla also knew that Tony would do it because of the reason he had fought at New York those few months ago. Because of the reason he flew that nuke into space. Because he wouldn't stand there and let innocent people die. Because he was a good man. And Kayla knew that Steve was realizing that too. Steve began pulling the tape off of his hands as Kayla cooled down from her workout. "I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D. will lend us Natasha whenever we need her."

"Probably." Kayla nodded, moving to sit on the bench as Steve moved over to his gym bag. Kayla took a deep breath before speaking again. "Thor already said that he would be there whenever he was on Earth. Barton and Banner are the ones we'll need to get ahold of."

Steve paused, turning to look at her, but Kayla didn't meet his eyes. "You don't think they'll lend Barton with Nat?"

"Probably," Kayla shrugged. "I don't understand what S.H.I.E.L.D. does half the time. It's Banner I'm thinking won't be as willing. I mean, if a hole opens in the sky and spits out aliens, I  _think_  he'd help out. But one man tearing up a single street?"

"If one guy tearing up a street is all we have to worry about for the next three years, I wouldn't mind letting the Hulk take a long vacation."

Kayla wouldn't mind either. Once she had to gotten to know Bruce even a little, she didn't need to look at his file to tell that he had been through hell. Because he had, even before the Hulk made an appearance. Kayla hadn't gotten his whole file that night when the Campus fell, only how the Hulk came to be, his interactions with the U.S. Army, and a summary of what he was capable of. She hadn't read anything about before Culver University, but she could guess what he had went through.

And she didn't want to bring him into this unless he was sure he wanted to.

oOo

Once she was through the main door of her apartment building, Kayla grabbed her set of keys and gathered her mail. She pulled out a few of the envelopes, before pulling out a small package. Kayla waited until she went up the stairs and closed her apartment door behind her before even looking at the mail. As she made her way over to the couch, she looked down at the package. It was a little bit bigger than her hand and she couldn't think of what something that size could be. Curious, she finally pulled it open as she stood in front of the couch.

Out slid a phone, but it wasn't like any phone she had ever seen before. The top half was all glass except the outside trim was black. The bottom half was a keyboard, and in-between, above the home button, was a small camera, and there was one on the back as well. Kayla held the thing up, looking at the glass.  _What kind of phone is this_? Still uncertain as to what it was, she searched the rest of the package, as if it would tell her. There was a small piece of paper in the box, but all it read was:  _Turn On_.

Kayla hit the power button, and when the glass lit up, displaying blue words that said powering on. She flipped it over to see the back side of the glass read the words backwards. She turned it around when a new image came up. At first, it was black, but it quickly blinked to show Tony Stark's face looking at her. Kayla almost dropped the phone, startled.

" _Hey, New Kid. This is a phone_ ," his voice sounded like he was talking to a five year old, dragging the words out as if that would make them easier to understand.

"Tony, what the hell-" Before she could finish, he continued talking, cutting her off.

" _No one lives in the Stone Age anymore, that was hundreds of years ago. Are you sure you weren't in an ice cube too? Besides, I hate flip phones_."

"Tony, t-" she was cut off again, and it was when she realized that it was a recording. And she felt dumb trying to talk to him, and she felt embarrassed, though no one would see that.

" _J.A.R.V.I.S. will help you get the phone set up for you, transferring your contacts and blah blah blah. Thank me later, after you've tried it out_." With a wink from Tony, the screen went clear again.

Kayla couldn't believe it. Tony Stark, billionaire, superhero of the age, mailed her a phone because he didn't like her old one. She rolled her eyes, took a seat on the couch and set the phone down on the coffee table. Not two seconds later did she yelp when a new voice startled her… again. The screen lit up blue as it projected the voice. " _Miss Hudson, Mr. Stark insists that we begin immediately."_

"What the hell? Who are you?" Kayla moved back on the couch, bringing her legs up as if the attacker was the floor.

" _J.A.R.V.I.S., Miss."_  He explained to her how Tony invented him, that he was an AI that ran most of Tony's house and that he was basically a super computer. After the AI - why it had a British accent, she didn't know - began talking for a few minutes, Kayla began to relax and actually found the whole thing interesting. So he was basically a butler for a rich dude, in this case Tony, but was a highly intelligent computer. " _Shall we_?"

"Sure, why not." Kayla slouched down on the couch as J.A.R.V.I.S. helped her – aka, he did all the work - with her new phone. He transferred all of her contacts, and he explained to her how to use the device. When they finished, after an hour or so, she was scrolling through the features. Surprisingly, she liked it. The keyboard was the same as her flip phone, with the ten digits, the pound and the hashtag, and the green and red for send and end. It was a bit wider, easier to hold and use, thinner, and fit in her pocket nicely.

J.A.R.V.I.S. disappeared from the phone after that, telling her that if she needed anything he would be there to help. She was surprised how smart he was for being a computer, but then again, a genius had made him.

Kayla sat back on the couch and closed her eyes.

oOo

A noise startled her out of her thoughts. Kayla was sitting at her desk, with the bedside lamp the only light on, working on her book. When the sound drifted to her, she stilled, listening. A second noise sounded from the other room, and she immediately stood up and flicked off the lamp before silently moving to the bedroom doorway. There was someone in her apartment.

Kayla immediately moved, silent and ready to fight. She had been through the training, knew how to take someone down, she just had to get to them first. She didn't hear anything new since that second noise, and now that she thought of it, it was the sound of the window opening and then maybe someone slipping through. As Kayla slowly entered the kitchen, she saw that it was empty, now knowing that the person had to be in the living room, the only room left. The brunette thought about creating a shard in her hand, but thought better of it, knowing there would be the soft glow on her arms and that could give her away. Instead, she decided to grab the out-in-the-open kitchen knife in the strainer from when she had done the dishes earlier. It would have to do.

She was curious as to what the intruder was doing. Robbing her place?  _What were they doing, robbing the place_? She thought.  _If they were, they weren't getting anything good._  But what were they taking? Maybe they were there for something else, something much worse. Kayla moved forward, poking her head out from behind the counter island, before moving toward the next wall that separated the living room. She peered around the doorway, scanning the room. She didn't see anything, at least not much. Kayla moved, gripping the knife tighter and moving it so she was ready to use it. When she peeked around the corner, she saw nothing.

Kayla straightened, dropping her hand and the knife to her side.  _Nothing_. She let out a breath as she relaxed.  _It was all just my imagination,_  she thought, walking towards the closest window.

She froze at the sight. It was open. She never kept it open.

That was when a hand clamped over her mouth, and an arm wrapped around both of hers to squeeze her against the body behind her. The hand over her mouth prevented her from screaming out, but she did move the knife, or at least she tried to. She struggled until the person behind her whispered, "You need more practice."

The woman froze at the voice, dropping the knife as the arms around her fell. Once free, she immediately turned around and pounded into the man's chest before shoving him backwards. "Damn, what the hell is  _wrong_  with you?" She yelled, her body now shaking, she shook her head before walking over to the lamp next to the couch to turn it on. When Kayla turned back around, the lamp had lit up the room enough for her to see Clint Barton standing in her living room.


	19. Locked Out

Clint Barton stood by the window, a huge grin on his face. He wore a pair of jeans and his usual boots, and black t-shirt hugged his chest with the jacket he wore the last day she saw him.

Kayla walked toward him again, scowling. She pushed his chest again, and he stumbled backward. “Don’t _ever_ do that again.” She ran her hands through her hair, stepping back. She was so angry and freaked out, her arms were shaking, her adrenaline pumping, having been prepared to fight for her life. And it was all a false alarm; she had to take a moment to calm herself.

“I’m sorry,” Clint said, but there was still a smile on his face. “That was a really bad idea.”

“Really?” It was sarcastic, as she asked, like the thought would never occur to her.

Clint leaned back, going through a small fit of laughter, and Kayla felt her face redden. She crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed, angry. But simultaneously she was grateful that she hadn’t had to fight for her life. She had no idea what was so funny, so she asked. He didn’t answer right away, but his laughter did die down. In another moment, he lifted his head. “It’s just- you could have killed me.”

“I don’t see how that’s something to crack up about,” Kayla told him as Clint stood up straight and walked forward. She stood on one side of the couch and he the other. “What are you doing here, Clint?”

“I was in the area.” Clint shrugged nonchalantly. Kayla continued to glare at him angrily, not finding him funny. None of what was happening was funny. It was just making Kayla angry.

“So you thought it would be a good idea to break into my apartment in the middle of the night?”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

“Oh,” Kayla threw her hands up in the air and turned away from him. “Because that makes it _so much_ _better_.” Kayla moved, and when she got to the end of the couch she turned back. She was glad that the couch was in between them, because all she wanted to do was hit him again. After a moment, she said, “It’s been three months.”

“There we go, the real reason you’re mad.”

“Of course I’m mad, Clint!” Kayla looked at him as she raised her voice, noting that he had gripped the back of the couch and let it hold his weight, ready for her words. “Not only because of the whole breaking into my apartment and scaring me half to death event, but I haven’t seen you in three months, and you decide that you wanna drop by at one in the morning to say ‘hi’ instead waiting for a decent time to pick up a phone like a _normal_ person. You said you’d call, you _said_ a couple of days.” Kayla watched Clint shift restlessly, though he never took his eyes off of her as Kayla sent him looks every few moments. Now that she had started, she couldn’t stop. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she began to let it all out. “At first, I thought it was me, that I had feelings for you that you didn’t return. That you didn’t want to be with me. But then I thought - you kissed me, so that has to mean something, right? After three months, do you not-” Kayla cut herself off. She hated that her voice sounded weak and small, that she sounded helpless and needy. It wasn’t her.

When Clint moved, Kayla finally looked at him, and she was surprised. She watched him move to the end of the couch, frustrated. It was strange, seeing so many conflicting emotions on the archer’s face. She wasn’t use to it. She was use to cocky, jokes and smiles, careless. Now… now he just looked uncertain.

Kayla’s anger and confusion were replaced by worry. “What’s really going on?”

He looked away, settling himself on the couch. Kayla followed suit on the other end, feeling the mood shift to something serious. After a long moment of Clint idly watching his fingers fidget and Kayla watching him from her end of the couch, the blond straightened, but he continued to avoid eye contact and instead fidget with his hands. “I know how you feel now.”

Kayla said nothing, confused and curious, but she let him talk at his own pace.

The man took a few deep breaths, looking as if he was considering on what to say. Finally, he came to a decision, though he still looked torn and conflicted. “To have your life… _flipped_ upside down. After, I didn’t know what to do. I mean, how was I supposed to know what to do, I don’t know anyone who has been mind-controlled before, I didn’t know how to… bounce back. But then I thought about you.” Clint took another deep breath, and his eyes flickered up to meet Kayla’s for a moment, before falling back to his hands. “I mean, it’s not the same, obviously. But you bounced back.”

He meant Tessa, about what happened in Norway. It was just a little painful, seeing Clint, and then thinking about what happened to Tessa. That he might compare that to what happened to him. That Clint himself had to go through that pain. Though they were two very different situations, the outcome was the same. Everything had changed.

“If you quote me on this, I’ll deny it. But I freaked out.” Clint shook his head. “Something bad happened to me, and I let it push me, push me away from you, away from Nat even. I think…”

“You’re gonna make it.” Kayla smiled encouragingly as she rubbed at her wrist. “This may sound wrong, but… sometimes good things can come from bad situations. And _this_ may sound cheesy, but it gets better.”

Clint finally looked up then, and the two met each other’s eyes. And in that moment, so much more was said between them. Feelings that couldn’t be put into words.

Kayla let it go, let all of her anger and worry drift away, let the past be the past and made to live in the present. Though Clint didn’t exactly apologize, he was forgiven.

Instead, she changed the subject.

“You thought I would be asleep.” Kayla smiled at his slightly guilty expression as she pulled her legs up on the couch to face him. “What exactly were you doing here, then, while I was sleeping, might I add?”

“Uh,” Clint lifted a hand to rub at the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “Right. Well, I was going to leave something for you.”

The woman raised an eyebrow at him, waiting.

“Right,” he repeated. He let out a breath before reaching into his jacket. When he moved his hand back into sight, he looked down at the small object between his fingers for a moment before reaching across the cushions and holding it out to her.

With hesitant hands, Kayla took the object, but she couldn’t take her eyes away from it. After a moment, she smiled.

“You know, after a time, flowers will wither and die, and sure, you can keep them if you press them, but they aren’t as pretty I guess. So I thought,” Kayla’s smile only grew as he began talking, hearing the nervous lift to his voice, how he didn’t pause in his words, “no, I shouldn’t get you flowers, because those would last a week. And why get flowers if they only last a week when you can give someone a flower that’ll last a lifetime.”

Kayla looked up from the small paper flower she held in between her thumb and first two fingers to give Clint another smile. “You made this?”

The corner of his mouth lifted up slightly as he nodded, and he pointed at the flower. “But you still have to take care of it. Dust it off once a month, smile at it a few times a day.”

Kayla rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch arm. “I love it, Clint.” She twirled the paper stem for a moment, looking at the color that was drawn in on the inside of the petal, though the lamp in the room gave the whole flower a yellow highlight. It was white paper, folded into a lily, with pink color on the inside, on the edges of the petal. She was touched, touched that he had made her a paper flower rather than buy her some at a florist. Touched that he had even thought about how flowers would one day die when the paper could last years. Touched that he had chosen _her_. “Thank you.”

The two sat in silence for a minute or two, Kayla twirling the flower between her fingers as she looked at Clint, Clint tapping at his knee as he looked at the flower. When he glanced up from the lily to meet her eyes, he gave her another small smile and then slapped his thighs and stood. “Well, I should get going, shouldn’t I?”

Kayla stood with him, but didn’t take a step to follow him when he didn’t head towards the door. “Why don’t you leave through the front door, you know, like a normal person.”

Clint looked over his shoulder as he propped open the window and grinned at her. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Kayla shook her head. She wasn’t going to stop him. If he wanted to go out the window and possibly hurt himself, it was on him. But then again, he had probably been doing crazier things for years.

“You know, you should really lock your windows,” Clint said as he moved so one leg was outside the window.

Kayla raised her hands in disbelief. “I don’t think anyone who isn’t crazy is going to break in. That’s not even a window with a fire escape! You don’t even have your quiver with you, so I’m not going to ask how you got in here.”

Clint lifted his eyebrows unevenly, making Kayla laugh and shake her head. Then he gave her a small smile. “I’ll see you soon, alright?”

Kayla looked at him, half in her window and half outside, and thought about how he survived to thirty three years. Then she thought about his words, how they sounded like a promise, filled with a tinge of regret and sadness. “Yeah, I’ll see you soon.”

As Clint swung his body out the window and started shutting it from the outside, Kayla moved forward and shut it the rest of the way. How he was still “standing” there at eye level, Kayla didn’t know. The archer mouthed to her “lock it” as he pointed at the window, still without falling.

“You’re an idiot,” Kayla said, knowing that he could hear her. Though she did what he asked and flipped the lock, then smiled at his mock-hurt expression. But then, with a little wave, Clint was gone.

Kayla stayed at the window for a few minutes, looking out at the dark street and buildings. She turned away as the weight of the flower, still in her hand, drew her attention. She let out a little hum as she looked down at the folded paper and her thoughts drifted.

oOo

As it was Sunday, the author was at one of the café’s she ate at, where she usually sat outside thinking about ideas for her book. Kayla was gazing up at the buildings around her to gauge if jumping from rooftop to rooftop could be accomplished when a figure passed by her right, and a moment later, sat down in the chair across from her. Kayla could only stare at the man and a familiar grin, frozen with surprise.

“Hi.”

“Clint.” Right in front of her. Kayla drank in the sight of his slouching form and his jacket, his hands clasped together over his stomach, the grin and his blue eyes, feeling her stomach flip. He was there. After a moment of bewildered surprise, she found her voice. “I didn’t expect it to be this soon. How did you find me?”

Clint shrugged his shoulders easily. “Rogers told me you get breakfast on Sunday.”

“Steve? When did you talk to Steve?”

“This morning.” Kayla could hear his foot tapping at the ground continuously. The man lifted his shoulders again in a shrug, smile stretching. “I thought I’d come see you.”

Kayla let herself look at him, seeing the smile in his eyes, before she tipped her head down towards the table as her cheeks flushed. She busied herself with flipping her notepad closed and moving her mug a few inches before she looked back up at him. “Thanks.”

She searched for something to say, instead of asking all of the questions that she wanted to ask. So she said the first thing her thoughts brought her to, which turned out to be: “What’s Natasha been up to lately?”

On Wednesdays, when Kayla had lunch with Steve, he would talk about what he had done for the week, and there had been a few times where he had been on missions with the redhead. So she wasn’t completely oblivious as to how the other woman was. But Clint and Natasha had been friends for years, he would know her better than almost anyone.

“You know, missions, more missions, karaoke night, missions.” Kayla watched as his hands moved higher on his chest, catching a seam on the front of his jacket and tracing his fingers down the length of it. “She’s a pretty private gal.”

Kayla’s eyes tracked the movement of his fingers as she replied. “But you’re her best friend.”

“Yes, I do hold that rank, don’t I?” Clint gave her another grin. “She really is good at karaoke, though.”

Kayla narrowed her eyes at him, not sure if she should believe him or not. She really couldn’t picture Natasha singing at a bar to the hits of the ‘80’s. “Well, what about you? What have you been doing?” _In the last three months_ , she didn’t add.

Leaning forward and placing his forearms on the tabletop in front of him, Clint turned his gaze down the street, off to his left. “Started looking for somewhere to sleep. Might be an apartment available up the road.”

“Where are you staying right now?”

“Natasha’s.” Blue eyes looked down at the table, his fingers folding a napkin with no intent. Kayla’s thoughts immediately drifted to the paper flower sitting on her bedside table. When Kayla had woken up and laid her eyes on it without the yellow glow from the lamp, she had grinned so wide for a few minutes that her cheeks had started to hurt. “I’ve stayed there before. She’s got a nice couch.” When Kayla only nodded, he gestured towards her. “So, uh, what about you?”

Kayla began to smile as her thoughts drifted to what she did over the summer. “Steve’s been teaching me some hand-to-hand. It’s a lot different then what I learned at S.H.I.E.L.D. We talk a lot now, Steve and I. And I spent two weeks with Bruce in this cabin in the middle of nowhere. He helped me with my shards, and Clint,” Kayla could feel the excitement course through her as she spoke, shifting in her chair to get closer to him as if to share her excitement. A smile broke out over her face as she continued. “Clint, I can change the shape of my shards!”

A matching smile spread across Clint’s face as he asked for details about the event, so she told him about how the first time was an accident, and how she couldn’t stop thinking about it. That she had to try something different. Which then resulted in the author telling the archer about her weeks at the cabin, of meditation and breathing techniques. And then she told him about movie night with Steve and Thor that turned into a two day event, and about her training at the gym, and Clint got to telling her some stories that happened at the base over the last few weeks, and they kept talking from there. Kayla began to think about what she had been missing, not having a chance to talk to him in so long. And she thought about how easy it was to talk to him, to slip back to how they were before New York happened, even if it had been three months. She had really missed him, and it was no surprise that her feelings for him hadn’t changed at all.

After almost two hours of talking, and the two smiling more than not, Kayla’s phone began ringing. The brunette quickly reached down into her bag as some rock song blared from the speakers. Kayla immediately scowled as she pulled it out of her bag and heard the lyrics. It was probably an AC/DC song, but Kayla could only guess.

After her scrambling, she finally managed to turn the sound off, and she sighed in relief. She lifted her eyes at the small laugh that fell from Clint’s lips. “I didn’t know you were into that kind of music.”

Kayla scowled down at the electronic. “I’m not.”

“What _is_ that?”

“Phone.” After she looked at the message – from Steve, a picture of some new pencils and sketchpad he had bought at the store – she set the phone down on the table and pushed it away from her. “Tony decided that my old phone wasn’t a phone at all and he built me a new one. Just as my old phone just so happened to get corrupted a few hours later. I can’t figure out how to change the ringtones, and I’m starting to lose hope that there’s no way at all.”

Clint let out a deep laugh as a look of disbelief crossed his features. “Tony Stark hated your old phone so much that he made you a new one.”

“Don’t say that like it’s a good thing. Next, he’ll build me a new computer that I’ll have no idea how to use.”

“No, no, it’s surprising. Tony Stark _built_ you a new phone.” After Clint finished speaking, his brows pulled together, and his lips fell into a frown as he looked down at the device.

Kayla felt her lips twitch as she tried to guess what that expression meant. “What, are you jealous?”

Clint’s head snapped up at that, expression turning confused. “Course. Wish _I_ had a sweet Stark Phone.”

Kayla couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips, but she let it go. “I’ve been meaning to go see him, since every time I bring it up on the phone he hangs up on me.”

“You call him, _too_ , now?” Clint raised an eyebrow that just had Kayla shaking her head back at him. “I’ve been meaning to visit him, too.” It was Kayla’s turn to raise a questioning eyebrow at him. The archer pushed himself from the table to lean against the back of the chair again. “Right. Not a visit. I was going to ask him if he could look at my bow. Probably tomorrow afternoon, since I’m in the city and all. Wanna come?”

Kayla couldn’t place it, but in a moment, his posture had switched from playful and relaxed to a bit on guard. Though he was still slouching and his expression hadn’t changed much, she saw how he looked tenser, ready to get into a fight if he needed to. Like he was uncertain. But since he clearly didn’t want to talk about it, Kayla just nodded. “Yeah. We can meet outside the tower.”

" _T.N.T. I'm dynamite! T.N.T. And I'll win that fight!"_

Kayla jumped at the sound, reaching forward to grab her phone. She felt a blush creep to her cheeks as Clint began laughing. She barely looked at the other picture Steve had sent to instead look for the settings on the phone as she mumbled to herself. But an idea came into her head as she was looking. Instead, she lifted the phone up, pulling it closer to her mouth. The brunette wasn't sure it would work, but she would try. "JARVIS?"

There was a long pause as she and Clint stared in anticipation. Then the phone lit up a bright white before a blue line appeared on the glass screen. " _Miss Hudson, how can I help you_?" The British voice spoke, the blue line moving as if that was his way of talking. Kayla smiled and glanced at the surprised archer across from her, a frown on his face.

"It worked!" Kayla cradled the phone in her hand, as if it were a baby animal. "You worked."

" _Of course, Miss_."

“What the hell is _that_?” Clint pointed across the table at her phone.

"It’s Tony’s AI, he basically runs the tower. And he happened to get programed into my phone." She paused, watching as the line stilled before she spoke up. "I was wondering about the ringtones on here, if I could change them."

" _I'm sorry,_ " the AI paused, the blue line moving at his syllables. " _Mr. Stark has denied me access to the ringtones._ "

"What?" Kayla looked up at Clint in confusion. "What do you mean?"

There was a pause, as if the computer had to think. " _I believe you would say, 'I am blocked._ '"

Neither of the two spoke for a moment, then all of a sudden Clint started to shake with laughter, although there was no sound coming from his mouth. Kayla glared. "It's not funny! I don't even like this music!"

"Kayla, it's hilarious!" Clint slowly rocked forward on his chair, arms wrapped around his stomach as he breathed deeply. A grin was firmly set on his lips. "What were you expecting form _Tony Stark_?"

She turned back to the phone. "So, there's no way to turn off the ringtones, JARVIS, or at least change them?"

" _I'm afraid not, miss. I apologize._ "

She sighed, shoulders falling, all hope lost. "Thank you, JARVIS."

" _Will that be all?_ "

"Yup." Kayla popped the “p” with her lips, watching the blue light slowly fade. She leaned back in her chair. "I can turn down the volume at least." She swore when she looked at the phone only to find no button that looked like the volume switch. Defeated, the author laid the phone in her lap and rubbed at her forehead. "That freaking genius."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone for the kind words I received, and I would like to apologize for the long wait. I wrote this chapter back in May, but after re-reading it, I thought I was making Clint a little OOC, so I was waiting for my brain to miraculously come up with something that would turn out better. There's still something about this chapter that I don't really like, but I thought I would post so we can move on to the more interesting things!
> 
> Also, tumblr! I'm there, I made an account, [reignofonyx](http://reignofonyx.tumblr.com/), if any of you are interested! I plan to post updates and maybe even a sneak peek once and a while, or if you just want to chat, I'll be there! 
> 
> Much love, Onyx


	20. First and Foremost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the chapter, I hope this one makes sense too. The ending was a bit hard for me to explain, but I hope you all get what's happening. I'm not really into how the government works, so this is just all in my brain, and I hope it's at least a smidge like how the government would actually operate. Woops.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

Kayla didn’t think she would be standing there, head tilted up as she looked at the tall building looming across the street from her. She pushed her hands deeper into her jacket pockets and, instead of getting a crook in her neck, turned to look down the sidewalk both ways. She didn’t bother with moving her hair from her face as she waited, knowing the wind would just blow it back.

After nearly ten minutes of standing, and having the thought of _standing inside would have been saner_ , there was a tap on her shoulder. Kayla turned and immediately scowled at the familiar face that was grinning and wiggling his eyebrows. “You’ve gotta teach me how to do that,” she told him reluctantly.

“What? This?” He pointed up at his face and continued looking anything but serious. _The dork,_ she thought.

“No, appear out of nowhere,” Kayla replied as she tried to hold back a grin, trying to remain serious. She shrugged as she looked both ways and then stepped to cross the road. “That, I’ve _got_ to learn.”

She couldn’t hear if Clint was following her or not, but she knew that he was. Like they just went over, he was stealthy. She would have to physically look over her shoulder to see if he was. But she knew he was, because they were here together, and they had to cross the busy street. They were in New York City, he’d cross now or he’d have to cross later.

When they reached the other side of the road, Clint moved to walk next to her on her side that was closest to the road as they walked the short distance to the building. Kayla eyed the man as he settled beside her, saw the case that was strapped to his back that did not for a second look like it held a bow.

“Alright, let’s play this cool,” Clint told her. “Act like we belong here, like we’re best buddies with Stark so they – well, you don’t really have to act, that’s me. Just, you know, like the movies.” Clint sent her a grin as he continued, sounding too amused. “Let us get stopped at the desk, and then we tell them we’re here to see Tony, but they don’t believe us. So by the time security comes and starts frisking us, Stark himself shows up and he tells them we’re allowed up without a problem, and they look foolish for not letting Tony Stark’s best friends up to see him.” Kayla rolled her eyes at his cackle of laughter as they both stopped just outside the doors.

“Why, exactly, do we have to go through all that?”

Clint shrugged, like it was obvious. “It’ll be fun.”

Clint was wearing a dark gray jacket over a white t-shirt with faded jeans and that case strapped over his chest, with a pair of gray sunglasses, just light enough to see his eyes. She then thought about her own apparel, which was similar to his in that it was casual jeans and a jacket, and how the two of them didn’t look like they _could_ be friends with a billionaire. They didn’t exactly look professional, or like they owned their own business. They looked like they were two people who were going in the building just to see if they could get anywhere. But she knew that Clint was the kind of guy that would turn eyes no matter what he was wearing. Yet, she didn’t know if that would help them in this situation or not.

As they stepped through the doors of Stark Tower – security let them in with just one extra glance – Kayla led the way over to what looked like a help desk. But what did she know? In the movies, people just skipped forward to already being in the office or floor they were trying to get to. She glanced over at Clint, seeing if he was upset that they didn’t get stopped by security.

Clint didn’t show any physical tells of being upset, and seemed to be letting her take the lead, so she stopped at the counter and let a smile spread across her lips. “Hi,” Kayla said to the woman behind the desk. “I was wondering if you could get me in touch with Mr. Stark.”

The woman looked utterly bored and replied in monotone, as if she had already said the same thing a dozen times in just the past hour. “Mr. Stark is in meetings all day. If you would like to set up an appointment, I can run a request through.”

Kayla looked over at Clint, who had turned to lean his back against the desk so that he had a good view of the whole room. His arms and ankles were crossed, looking completely relaxed. Kayla tapped her fingers against the counter, and Clint tipped his head slightly in her direction. She caught sight of the pout on his lips. _Fine, I’ll play along,_ she thought as she rolled her eyes and directed her next question to Clint. “Should I ask for Pepper instead?”

Clint seemed to consider that, looking questionable. Then he nodded, a small smirk replacing the pout as he realized that Kayla was, in fact, playing along. “Yeah, I’m sure Pepper could get ahold of him for us.”

Kayla turned back to the woman at the desk, who no longer looked utterly bored, but utterly confused instead, and smiled again. “How about Ms. Potts? Can I have an appointment with her?”

The woman turned back to her computer in front of her and typed hurriedly on the keyboard.

Kayla let out a sigh, trying to seem disappointed but knew she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She turned her whole body toward Clint, adding a bit of exaggeration to her words. “I knew we should have just called him. He would have met us at the front door and immediately started bellowing about the new renovations, just to brag about something.”

Clint shifted until he had his hip and left elbow against the counter, looking a bit surprised and awed. “Do you think he would have offered to pick us up too? In his new Audi?”

Kayla sent him a small glare for show as she pulled out her phone. She pressed the three button on the keypad and the phone began to ring. “And instead we walked,” she pouted in mock disappointment.

Clint turned his gaze back to the woman, his forearms leaning on the counter as he spoke to her. “Is Mr. Stark usually in meetings all day? He doesn’t seem like the type.”

The woman opened her mouth to respond, looking more confident than she had a moment ago, but she didn’t get to respond as her attention shifted back to Kayla, who had begun to respond to her phone call

“ _What_ ,” A voiced snapped out.

“Rude,” Kayla said, lifting her eyes to the ceiling so she could at least act like she was having a normal conversation without two people staring at her. “You’re supposed to say ‘hello.’”

There was a long pause on Tony’s end, though there were a few clicks and beeps that came through the line. Then, he sighed. “ _Hello_?”

Kayla actually laughed. “Hi, Tony. Sorry to bother you in your meeting. I was wondering if we could talk.”

There was a loud bang and a grunt of what Kayla was going to take as pain. His voice was muffled as if there was something between him and the phone. He was probably in his workshop, then, or whatever he called it. “ _Yeah sure. I mean, yeah, whatever. What’s up_?”

It seemed like he was distracted. Maybe if he hadn’t been in his workshop, he would have been more talkative and calling her new nicknames every other second. But it was almost as if Kayla could get away with the jokes and humor this time around. “Actually, I’m downstairs. Well, if you’re upstairs then I’m downstairs, that is.”

There was another loud noise, like a clattering of metal. “ _You’re at the tower_?” The line went silent again before he asked, “ _Important_?”

Kayla glanced at Clint. “Um, important enough that we showed up instead of just shooting you a text? Yes.”

Tony swore and began shuffling around, sounds echoing and metal hitting metal. “ _I’ll get someone to escort you up. Where are you_?”

Kayla looked over at the woman. “Uh, I’m at some sort of desk?” She caught sight of the name tag on the woman’s shirt. “Julia.” Kayla nodded, and the woman’s eyes widened in horror and shock. “I’m standing with Julia.”

Tony didn’t answer for a moment. When he did, his voice was the clearest it had been the whole call, as if he were finally next to the microphone. He sounded surprised. “ _You’re on the first floor_?”

Kayla threw a hand out in exasperation. “What was I supposed to do, learn how to fly so I could just land on the balcony like you do?”

Once again, there was another pause. “ _Actually, if that happens, you need to tell me. That way we can replicate it and we can all have_ superpowers.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. That sounded a lot like Tony, as the amazed tone slowly morphed to amusement. “I don’t think we should feed your ego by giving you superpowers.”

“ _Come on, if that happens, you know we’d be all over it_.”

“I don’t think I need any more superpowers, thanks though,” Kayla said, before she really realized what she said. Her eyes snapped over to Julia, but thankfully, she still seemed to be in shock over the fact that Kayla had Mr. Tony Stark on speed dial and not on the fact that Kayla had just stated that she had superpowers. So she let herself relax as Tony began to make some noise, and a muffled, “ _J, end call_ ” which was followed by the dial tone.

Kayla pushed her phone into her jacket pocket and smiled at Clint. “He’s sending someone down for us.” And then she turned to Julia. “Thank you.”

The woman continued to stare, and Kayla immediately began to feel bad for her. She hadn’t meant to be mean, or seem a bit snobby. But Clint was smiling, and there was amusement across his features. So the mission was good.

A man in a suit seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and Kayla blinked at him as he stopped right in front of them, clearly there for the two of them. “Miss Hudson, right this way.”

The man began to walk across the room, and Kayla didn’t move until she felt Clint’s hand on her elbow. _Wow, that was a fast reaction time,_ she thought as they walked. Not even two full minutes had went by before there was someone there to escort them up the tower. Kayla let herself smile up at the blond as she began to walk, thoughts again shifting to what had just occurred. “Was that enough like the movies for you?”

Clint grinned in return. “Oh yeah. Did you see her face? She totally thinks she’s getting fired.”

Kayla almost scowled, until she saw Clint raise a hand and adjust the sunglasses on his nose. “Okay, _what_ are you wearing?”

Clint leaned away from her at the words, then stepped close to her side, his arm brushing hers as they walked, and he lowered his voice. “Save that kind of talk for the bedroom.”

Kayla’s footsteps faltered, and she felt her cheeks flare hot with a blush. She stared up at him with her mouth hanging open. The words alone would have been fine, but added with how his voice had dropped and were stretched out… She stuttered out, “I meant… Sunglasses, inside. Really?”

Clint’s grin only grew at her response. Neither got to say anything more as the man in the suit, who Kayla assumed was security, stopped at an elevator that was separated from the rest, having its own little corner on the floor, and even a back door to the tower right next to it.

As the elevator doors dinged open, the man shifted out of the way. “Mr. Stark will be waiting for the two of you on the main floor.”

Kayla stepped inside, Clint following as he removed his sunglasses and tucked them in the collar of his shirt. The man in the suit quickly reached inside to press a button and then stepped out. When the doors slid shut, Clint glanced at her, pointing at the metal and indicating the room beyond. “That wasn’t the main floor?”

Kayla shrugged, then moved to one side of the elevator, Clint the other, as it began to rise. While Kayla leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, she openly looked down Clint’s body. He was leaning against the wall, hands on the small railing there, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. When her eyes traveled back up to his, taking in the stretch of cotton and the lines of muscles with appreciation, the small smile on her lips grew when she saw that Clint was doing the same thing, though he had one eyebrow raised in his own appreciation.

She wasn’t wearing anything special or revealing. Just a pair of dark skinny jeans tucked into her loosely tied Converse – the ones with the holes by the toes and faded black fabric – a green t-shirt that could be seen as form fitting, her leather jacket with gray sweater sleeves and hood, and with her dark hair pulled up into a ponytail. But Kayla let herself revel in the wordless compliment, even if he hadn’t meant for her to see.

With a shake of her head, she looked up to see what floor they were on. She then noticed that the lowest button that could be pushed was the fiftieth, and wondered what floors the elevator could reach. The elevator slowed to a stop at the fifty-fifth floor with a pleasant ding, and the doors opened.

A mock bow and wave from Clint had Kayla stepping out first, and she tried not to walk any differently than normal, well aware that he had also been checking her out and could still be doing it.

She was soon distracted with the sight in front of her, a small gasp escaping her lips. Downstairs had looked all professional, neutral painted walls, a large area for movement, and rectangular couches, looking much like a corporate building. The floor Kayla had stepped out onto was so much more. The whole length of the wall opposite from the elevator was glass, and outside that was the large balcony. The similarity flashed through her mind, remembering New York, where the team had stood around Loki in what she assumed was this room, but was now completely redone. There was still a bar on the right side of the room, but now with a small kitchen area and a large table with multiple chairs. The left side of the room was more recreation, with two large couches that were curved and rotated slightly rather than parallel, with a space between the two should someone decided to walk through. Where they sat, they made a sort of half circle around a small glass coffee table, and a huge flat screen TV hung on the wall, taking up most of it. To the left of the elevator was a bookshelf filled with rows and rows of books, with two comfortable looking chairs facing each other and a small table between the two. Few pieces of artwork hung on the walls.

On the right, there was a staircase that led up to a second smaller floor that hung over the kitchen and bar, with a glass railing around it. She could make out a couch and a small bar up there as well. The ceiling was high enough to compensate for the two floors, giving the space an even bigger feel.

"Oh, my, god." Kayla had walked into the middle of the room, spinning around. The room was huge, a whole floor itself. It was spaced out and open. "This is..."

"Ridiculously _amazing_ ," Clint finished for her, spinning once before walking past her to the glass wall.

“Don’t say that in front of Tony,” a voice called out, and Kayla turned to the left where the couches had been set up. “He doesn’t need any more of an ego boost.”

“Bruce,” a smile spread across her lips as she walked over. She hadn’t seen him there as she took in the whole room. Bruce Banner stood up from a corner of the couch when she got closer, but she stopped a few feet away, not knowing if she should wrap him in a hug or leave him be. She settled for a huge grin instead. “I see you’re still alive.”

“Barely,” Bruce replied to the joke, a smile on his lips as well. “But, it’s actually pretty quiet here. Not much happens.”

Kayla leaned back questionably. “Really. In Tony Stark’s tower?” She had expected parties, new projects, Tony wearing his suit all of the time for no reason, and accidental explosions.

Bruce gave her a one shoulder shrug, tapping his thumb against the book he held in his hand, pointer finger held between the pages. “So, uh, what are you guys doing here?”

Kayla noticed the way his eyes flickered over her shoulder, looking a bit suspicious as he took in the sight of the archer. Kayla shifted her weight, feeling a frown begin to tug at her lips. Did Bruce have a problem with Clint, or was it because Clint was part of the agency, and Bruce still had a problem with government agents? She took a seat on the couch closer to the glass wall, and Bruce sat back in his original seat. If Bruce would be more comfortable with the archer in his line of view, Kayla would give that to him. “Well, I’m having some technical difficulties that only a Stark can fix, and Clint was wondering if Tony would look at his bow. Thought we’d stop by, say hi.”

Bruce nodded in understanding, slowly relaxing against the cushions. “Are you waiting for him to come up?”

“Yeah, I gave him a call when we were in the lobby, or main floor, whatever that floor was down there.” Kayla gestured with her hand. She tipped her head back on the couch and looked over at Clint.

“Yeah, this is pretty amazing,” Clint said again as he turned around and nodded to the room, his eyes scanning everything.

"More like _awesome_." A voice called out, and Kayla turned to see Tony Stark walking towards the bar. She hadn't even noticed the door to the right of the elevator, where he must have come out of. "Had some renovations done, nothing too much."

" _Some_ renovations? The whole floor is done." Kayla raised an eyebrow at the billionaire.

"You haven't even seen the other floors yet." Tony went to the bar in the kitchen area and poured some water into a glass with ice before he moved across the room. He paused a few feet away from Clint, taking a sip of the water. As his eyes looked at the blond, he lowered his glass into his left hand and reached out with his right. “Barton.”

Kayla held her breath as Clint did nothing but look over Tony in turn. But a moment later they shook hands, and she let out the breath she had been holding in relief, glad that the two weren’t going to be disrespectful to each other and start some fight or anything drastic. She could just imagine the arrows and explosions.

Tony moved across the room toward Kayla and Bruce then and plopped down lazily onto the couch next to Bruce, somehow not spilling his drink. “Fifty and up are for the live-in peeps.” Tony lowered his voice, as if his next words were a huge secret. “You didn’t say Barton was coming.”

Kayla knew it was just a joke, by the smile on his face, so instead she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, deciding not to answer. She stretched her arm out and leaned forward, holding the device between her fingers. “Make it stop.”

Tony grinned, taking another gulp of water. “You’re supposed to say ‘hello.’”

Kayla opened her mouth as she glared, but didn’t get a chance to retort.

“What’s the rush? JARVIS said that I needed to…”

Kayla turned to the new voice that entered the room, feeling her mouth drop open even further. Because in walked Steve Rogers, toweling his damp hair like he had just gotten out of the shower. He was in a blue t-shirt and black sweats, his hair darkened with the dampness, and he was barefoot. He froze at the sight of Clint standing in the room, and his head swung around to Kayla, looking surprised.

“Steve?” Kayla asked, surprised herself. She had not been expecting him.

“Kayla. Hi.”

Kayla watched as Steve slowly lowered the towel from his head. “What are you doing here?”

Red began to blossom on his cheeks, and he slowly moved his hands behind his back, as if hiding the towel behind him would take away any evidence of him being there. “Uh,” Steve’s eyes flickered to the others in the room. Kayla didn’t have it in her to laugh at how awkward he looked, like he was getting scolded. “I live here now?”

“Yeah, New Kid, get with the program,” Tony said as he smiled mischievously. “Gotta have the whole family under one roof.”

“That’s actually why I’m here,” Clint said as he stepped forward, pulling Kayla’s thoughts toward him.

Tony mumbled “down to business, I see,” as she leaned back on the couch, phone forgotten in her lap. What was Clint really here for, to talk to all of them at once? Kayla only knew that Clint was here to see if his bow could get fixed. But now, it kind of made since; Clint could have gone to S.H.I.E.L.D. and get it fixed, because they were the ones who made it in the first place. So there was another reason he was there, at the tower?

Clint looked to Kayla on the couch. “I mean, I _do_ need my bow looked at-”

“Oh, give it.” Tony sat forward on the couch, sounding excited. “What’s wrong with it?”

Kayla turned back to Tony. She was still reeling with surprise, and the back and forth with so many people talking was just too much, though it was only three. She caught sight of Bruce, who had a small smile on his face as he seemed to sink into the couch, book held against his chest as he continued to tap at it. She wondered if he was amused at Tony, or Kayla who was just confused, or at the whole situation in general.

“Yeah, I, uh, kind of broke it?” Clint ended with a question, sliding the case off his back and setting it lightly on the coffee table. Steve came around, standing by the other end of the table from Clint. They all watched as Clint popped open the case and pulled out his bow. Only, it came out in two pieces, the cord missing from the ends.

“How in the hell did you manage that?” Tony asked as he jumped up, taking the bow from Clint’s hands.

Clint shrugged in response, hands sliding into his jean pockets. “I was mad.”

Tony gave him a look, then pointed over his shoulder at Steve behind him. “He could pull this off if he got mad,” and then his thumb moved to the front of his body as he pointed at Bruce down at the couch, “and he could rip it to shreds. But _you_?”

Tony began to rattle off long sentences that didn’t seem to make sense to Kayla, but Clint was nodding along, adding his own commentary here and there. They were talking about the bow, what it was made of and what could be added to improve it. So instead, Kayla turned to Steve. “How long have you been here?”

Steve ducked his head as she asked, fidgeting with the towel in his hand. “Well, uh... About the second time we had lunch together.”

That was almost three months ago. “Why didn’t you say anything?” It wasn’t that Kayla was mad, she was more curious than anything. Why hadn’t he just said something? Did Steve think that she was mad?

Steve’s eyes glanced quickly away, up toward Tony and Clint, before they settled back on Kayla. “Honestly? I wanted you to make your own decision.” Confused, Kayla just looked at him. Steve shifted his weight and continued. “I know you’ve been thinking about it. You don’t like your apartment, even if it’s comfortable. There’s no one there to make it feel like home. I had the same problem, though in different circumstances, and I moved her to be close to the people I was familiar with. There aren’t many, but they’re all here, except for you.”

Kayla thought about what he said. He was right. Home had always used to be an empty house, after her father had died. And then she had had Tessa for a short amount of time. But now, she had people that meant something to her. She had gotten a best friend, had four more, and whatever it was that Clint was to her. She had a family, and apparently half of them were already under one roof.

“So, what was the other thing?” Tony’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Kayla gave Steve a small nod as she turned her attention to him. “Something about Steve living here.”

Clint nodded, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “Right, that.” He paused for a long moment, his blue eyes looking at Kayla. She didn’t know if he was looking for something in her gaze, but she gave him a small encouraging smile. Then, he took a deep breath. “I quit S.H.I.E.L.D.”

The five of them fell into a silence, different levels of surprise. Kayla herself was stunned speechless. Clint stood, waiting for their reactions, hands clenching into fists and then relaxing.

It was Tony that broke the silence first, seeming confused. “Can you even do that? Isn’t it kind of a Join or Die type of club?”

“That’s the thing, really.” Clint crossed his arms over his chest, pulling off a relaxed stance, but Kayla knew him well enough to see the anger and worry in his eyes. “I ‘quit,’ but there are things I’ve done, things that S.H.I.E.L.D. has on my record. What if one day, they decide that putting those things behind us and keeping them hidden isn’t worth it anymore? What if, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides that there’s something not worth saving, not worth helping? I don’t want to be a part of that any more.

“That’s why I’m here; to make an offer. This whole Avenger thing… let’s make it official. I already talked to Nat, she’s in if you all are. What if we have our own resources and our own rules to play by, to decide for ourselves what’s worth saving instead of taking orders from them?” Clint delivered the whole speech with a tone of seriousness that Kayla had only heard a few times.

Steve spoke up, shifting forward. “You know that there will be times that S.H.I.E.L.D. will stick their noses right in, regardless.”

“Not if we make it official,” Tony said as he sat back down on the couch, a hand to his chin as he thought. “Stark Industries funds the Avengers, Stark Industries funds the costs of the damage. Sure, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be there to control some of the damage and to cover up incidents that they believe shouldn’t be part of the public eye.”

“So, what, make the Avengers official, work with S.H.I.E.L.D. sometimes, work for ourselves the rest of the time?” Kayla asked, finally seeing where this was going. She had no idea if they would have to go through the government, or even S.H.I.E.L.D. to get accepted, she didn’t know the steps that were needed. But she remembered the Battle, where S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided that the best answer to stopping the war was blowing up New York City to get to the aliens and simultaneously killing millions of innocent people in the process. She knew that she would do the same thing over again if it meant saving all of those people. So Kayla nodded. “An Avenger first and foremost. Deal.”

She found four pairs of eyes looking back at her, and she didn’t know if it was because she was so quick to agree without all of the details, or if they were surprised that she agreed at all. But where Kayla was already all for it, Steve looked skeptical.

“You guys won’t need me.” Bruce said quietly, but it still caused the other four to quickly look at him in turn. “There’s no need for a giant rage monster that’ll do more damage than good.”

Kayla didn’t need to say anything to that, not when Bruce met her eyes, and she told him everything he needed to know with just a look. That he had the hulk under control, could keep him under control. And the team had all fought side by side with the hulk, and there hadn’t been any complications that occurred then, so why would the next battle or the one after that be any different?

Bruce let out a long sigh at her look, a small smile twitching at the corner of his lips. “It would be nice to stop answering to the government and having my life constantly threatened.”

Steve let out a sigh. “I won’t stop working with S.H.I.E.L.D., and there will be times that we’ll have to work with them.”

That was a yes. It looked like it was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending again!
> 
> Okay, just a heads up: I won't be publishing Chapter 21 until the 30th. The main reason being that it'll be the holidays in two weeks. Another reason being that finals for me are coming. The third reason is that now that I have my writing funk back, I've found a lot of things worth writing. So, I've got Blame it on Norway, updating usually every other Wednesday. I'm also writing some marvel soulmate AU fics with my sister, The Dreaded Realization that My Soulmate Is... and those post on Fridays. I'm also writing a Daredevil fic, and I've just got tossed into the Code Black fandom and I started one of those too. So I've been hopping around one to another when I come across some bumps.
> 
> And this chapter is where I disregard every Marvel movie that was made after The Avengers. Though, I might have some aspects of CA:WS, and Thor 2. But I'm moving towards the cartoons and the comics, and maybe a mention of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
> 
> I'm on tumblr! Username: [reignofonyx](http://reignofonyx.tumblr.com/), and I've posted a posting schedule for December.
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone!
> 
> Love, Onyx

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Days of Kayla](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2632103) by [CherryMountain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryMountain/pseuds/CherryMountain), [OnyxRing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxRing/pseuds/OnyxRing)




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